Zsolt Semjen received Manfred Weber, the president of the European People's Party, in Budapest. Afterwards, Hungary's deputy prime minister and KDNP chief held a press briefing where he underlined that they also reviewed issues pertaining to the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as the Tisza (Respect and Freedom) Party. Seven MEPs are seven MEPs, so from a certain viewpoint it's understandable that the European People's Party is not indifferent to how many MEPs it has, Mr Semjen stated.
We made it clear - and I stress this in the spirit of correction and honesty - that if Peter Magyar or his Tisza Party should gain admission into the European People's Party, then our Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) will have no other option but to leave.
Let me emphasize that it's not that we have made a decision to leave, but that we have outlined quite frankly that we find the person of Peter Magyar unacceptable in the group, and his Tisza Party unacceptable in the European People's Party,
– partly because KDNP boasts an 80-year history, whereas the Tisza Party has an 80-day history, Zsolt Semjen declared.
The situation is also emotionally taxing, KDNP's president underlined. We respect our membership in the European People's Party, but this is also a question of identity. Mr Semjen expressed his conviction about how undoubtedly crucial it was for the Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) to represent Hungarian national aspects in the European Parliament's largest parliamentary group. This bears special significance in Ukraine because of Transcarpathia's ethnic Hungarian minority, he said, adding that this was something that they discussed at length.
KDNP Chief Zsolt Semjen underlined that
the doctrine of war is not our world, we are on the side of peace, and the situation of the Hungarian minority is crucial for us.
In response to a journalist's question, Mr Semjen explained that KDNP had discussed its decision with Reginal Development Minister Tibor Navracsics and Prime Minister Viktor Orban. At the end of the press conference, Mr Semjen reiterated his position that the admission of the Tisza Party into the European People's Party would be unacceptable for KDNP. And Manfred Weber understood this, he added.
