The Alliance, a political party in Slovakia representing the ethnic Hungarian minority, has officially become a member of the European People’s Party (EPP).
The Group Assembly of the European People’s Party’s voted unopposed to the accession of Alliance on Monday, making the ethnic Hungarian party in Slovakia a full member of the largest and oldest party organization in the European Parliament.
The Alliance was formed last October by the merger of the three major political parties representing the Hungarian minority in Slovakia: the Party of the Hungarian Community, Most–Híd, and MKÖ-MKS.
The decision for the inclusion of the group came on the heels of the 2020 Slovakian parliamentary elections, where none of the three ethnic Hungarian parties could acquire a mandate. Therefore, the Hungarian minority (amounting to around 8.5% of Slovakia’s population) was left without direct political representation for the first time.
The Alliance announced the event in a social media post, noting that the support is largely due to “the excellent reputation and cooperation of the predecessor parties within the People’s Party.”
“We will work to ensure that we are successful in the 2024 European Parliament elections and that we have a strong representation in Brussels again,” the party promised.
With the EPP membership, Alliance is currently one of the two Hungarian parties in the European party group. Although following a long tumultuous relationship, Viktor Orbán’s party, Fidesz, left the People’s Party last March, while the other member of the Hungarian governing party alliance, KDNP (Christian Democrats) has remained.
In the featured photo illustration: EC President Ursula von der Leyen (mid), Manfred Weber, EP leader of the EPP (l), and EPP MEP David McAllister. Photo by Patrick Seeger/EPA/MTI
