Tag: To the Contrary

In a recent article for POLITICO, “This time, Viktor Orbán has gone too far” (August 3), my colleague in the European People’s Party, Swedish MEP Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, made an urgent plea for the Hungarian prime minister’s Fidesz party to be expelled from her political group. I wholeheartedly agree with her. In recent years, the EPP leadership has been urged countless times to stop protecting Orbán and his all-out war on democracy and on migration. Each time, they responded that keeping him on board would moderate his actions. As a result, the EPP is deeply split — along with other traditional party families — over issues like migration, identity and values. What’s needed in Europe is a total shake-up of the political landscape. Pro-European, progressive liberal-democrat forces are scattered over the institution’s political groups. And, at the same time, populist and nationalist forces can be found in most of the mainstream political groups — and not just on the fringes. A great shake-up of the European political landscape would provide voters with clear choices between different political views. It would make Europe stronger.