"We speak a common language," Tusk said, adding that it is important that those who share Christian Democratic values stand together in defense of fundamental European values.Continue reading
Leaders of Hungary’s junior ruling Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) have sent a letter to Donald Tusk, president of the European People’s Party (EPP), to express concern over his recent talks with Péter Márki-Zay, the opposition alliance’s prime ministerial candidate for next year’s general election.
Tusk and Márki-Zay met and held a joint press conference in Warsaw on Thursday.
The signatories of the letter, KDNP leader Zsolt Semjén and MEP György Hölvényi, deputy leader in charge of foreign relations, said that “the Hungarian left-wing opposition is a political opponent of KDNP, an EPP member party. This opposition and its candidate keep bad-mouthing one of EPP’s longest-standing member parties”.
Tusk held talks with someone who has no party of his own, and is a candidate only of a political platform, they said, adding that this platform includes Jobbik, which not long ago acted as an overtly anti-Semitic, extreme-right party, whose European lawmaker had earlier asked Hungarian parliament to draw up a list of Jewish deputies.
The KDNP leaders criticized Tusk for his failure to consult with EPP’s over 80 members and partners in advance.
“Tusk can meet anyone he wants to. However, the statements he made at the joint press conference, namely that he seeks to cooperate within the EPP with the Hungarian left-wing opposition which he considers a reliable partner, one that is faithful to Christian Democratic values, were totally incompatible with the rules and traditions of the European People’s Party,” the Hungarian politicians said.
Featured photo illustration by Zoltán Balogh/MTI