"We Have Taken the Lead in Change"

In recent months, it's become clear that the Patriots have taken the lead in bringing about change and have successfully steered European political discourse in a direction that better serves the interests of nations and their citizens, Erno Schaller-Baross told Magyar Nemzet in an interview. The Fidesz MEP also discussed the success of Hungary's EU presidency and the potential impact of the new U.S. administration on the European Union.

MEP Erno Schaller-Baross

2024 was also a busy year in Brussels, and the results of the European Parliament elections showed that European citizens expect something different from the EU leadership than what they had been receiving. Patriotic voices have gained significant strength in the European Parliament. Over the past six months, what changes have you observed in Brussels? And what else is needed?

The establishment of the Patriots for Europe parliamentary group in 2024 was a major political achievement and a milestone that demonstrates conservative, right-wing parties' ability to cooperate swiftly and effectively in the European Parliament. This historic step clearly shows that a growing number of European citizens are demanding change and rejecting the federalist and ideological approaches championed by Brussels, which push national sovereignty to the backburner. The Patriots now constitute the third-largest parliamentary faction in the EP, and their member parties are gaining strength in many EU member states, as evidenced by the recent success of Austria’s Freedom Party (FPO), whose leader was given a mandate to form a government.

In recent months, it's become evident that we've taken the lead in bringing about change and have successfully steered European political discourse in a direction that better serves the interests of nations and their citizens.

The number of our allies continues to grow, but we need further efforts to counteract Brussels’ centralist endeavors. It is crucial to adopt measures that safeguard national sovereignty and foster constructive partnerships, while respecting our treaties. We firmly believe that time is on our side and that change has already begun in Europe. 

The European People’s Party (EPP) has formed a pact with the left wing and the liberals, despite it being clear that many of their voters did not want this. What may be the repercussions, and and how soon will they become apparent?

The European People’s Party has clearly committed itself to upholding the status quo through opportunistic compromises. Instead of keeping the promises made to voters, it has formed an alliance with the European left, excluding the Patriots' group while distributing parliamentary positions among themselves. If they truly stood for conservative values, they would be seeking partners on the right, where they could achieve a clear majority for the necessary changes. 

However, the European political elite is evidently more concerned with preserving its power and does not shy away from anti-democratic solutions. This runs counter to the voters’ will, who clearly demanded change in last year’s European Parliament elections.

That said, the coalition of the left wing, the liberals and the EPP appears intent on continuing the politics of stagnation—not just along particular issues but seemingly for the entire parliamentary cycle, as their formal cooperation agreement indicates. The consequences are already visible: voters are increasingly punishing the EPP across Europe. In many countries, it has become clear that forming an alliance with the Socialists and Greens comes at significant political costs.

The European Commission is still led by Ursula von der Leyen. Can we expect her to adjust certain policies in response to the voices of European citizens?

 The Brussels bureaucracy under Ursula von der Leyen has failed to deliver on its promises and fallen short on many of its goals. That is why we believe it is essential to demonstrate that there is a viable European alternative to Brussels’ misguided policies. Our aim is to guide the European Union back to the path of common sense and offer effective, real solutions to the continent’s challenges. While in certain areas we can sense an intention for minor corrections or delays in implementing their own legislative initiatives, it is clear that instead of economically harmful, extreme “green policies,” the focus should shift to improving European competitiveness and adopting farmer-friendly agricultural policies. Regarding the migration pact, doubts appear to be growing, as the push for illegal migration, the influx of migrants, and the transformation of Western societies without integration create significant tensions and threaten the foundations of European cooperation. Nevertheless, the necessary measures and actions are still delayed. Another concerning issue is the withholding of EU funds owed to Hungary as a tool of political pressure and blackmail. This practice fundamentally violates the principle of good faith in inter-institutional cooperation and contravenes the rules governing the operation of EU institutions.

How will Donald Trump’s victory in the United States influence Brussels' processes? In some issues, it's already apparent that the new U.S. administration is having an impact on the world. For example, many companies are changing their previous liberal, woke-ideology-based business policies. Meta's announcement to abolish the rampant censorship on social media sites has also caused a stir. What impact could Trump have on the functioning of the EU?

Primarily, we expect peace from Donald Trump’s presidency, as one of his main goals is to resolve the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The new American president has promised to use all available tools to achieve peace and a ceasefire. His claim is supported by his past actions, and thus the European Commission’s misguided policies can be corrected.

His return could pose a serious challenge to EU leaders who represent liberal and green values, particularly regarding migration policy and issues of social progress grounded in woke ideology.

Regulating tech giants is also expected to cause disagreements, as the Trump administration is likely to be less supportive of the EU’s strict and often one-sided regulatory approach. This could lead to diverging political directions in the regulation of the digital space, particularly concerning data protection and the moderation of social media platforms. The EU is already analyzing the effects of content moderation changes announced by Meta. A few days ago, Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Meta, admitted with shocking openness that the platform's fact-checkers censored certain content on political grounds due to political pressure. My colleagues in the Patriots group and I are therefore calling for setting up a committee of inquiry in the European Parliament to look into the issue of censorship on social media. However, the criticism from other EP groups is not limited solely to the technical questions of digital regulation—the monitoring and control of the digital internal market often reflects other political intentions, beyond the protection of democratic values. I find it unacceptable that when certain political outcomes do not fall in line with the federalist, leftist-liberal mainstream views, investigations are automatically launched. In contrast, other cases that do not threaten the political status quo are met with silence. This double standard is not only unfair but also undermines the credibility of regulations and trust in EU institutions.

In the second half of 2024, Hungary held the rotating presidency of the EU. It was a particularly active presidency described by many foreign politicians as successful presidency. What do you see as the most notable achievements of the Hungarian presidency?

During its rotating presidency, Hungary achieved significant successes despite the government facing major challenges and an unfavorable political environment. Hungary's presidency played a prominent role in bringing about the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area - an achievement that probably no other member state could have accomplished with such speed. Among the decisions adopted during the Hungarian presidency, I would highlight the Budapest Declaration, which aimed to strengthen the EU's competitiveness. Hungary developed an ambitious program focused on tackling and resolving the crises that affect the daily lives of European citizens. After nearly a decade of uncertainty, the Hungarian presidency provided honest, targeted responses to the symptoms of crises affecting the European Union. These proposals were consistently represented and successfully implemented by the Hungarian presidency. 

MEP Erno Schaller-Baross: The Hungarian rotating presidency achieved significant successes
Photo: Brigitte Hase/EP Plenary session

Diplomatic efforts also gave new momentum to the Western Balkans enlargement process. Advancing accession negotiations in the Western Balkans brings the European Union closer to cultural Europe. Alongside managing the tasks of the rotating presidency, the Hungarian prime minister also took substantive diplomatic steps regarding the war in Ukraine, promoting a ceasefire and initiating the start of peace negotiations.

As an MEP, how are you preparing for the coming years? What do you consider to be the priorities in your work?

As a member of the European Parliament, I will remain committed to working for the Hungarian people in the coming years, with a particular focus on protecting our national sovereignty. My priority is to develop an effective and balanced regulatory framework in my areas of expertise, especially in the field of digital services. My goal is to strengthen a digital single market that supports innovation and competitiveness while respecting freedom of speech. 

I will not give in to the attempts by the Brussels bureaucracy at censorship, because I am convinced that freedom of expression is one of the cornerstones of European democracy.

In the area of constitutional affairs, I also consider it of paramount importance to protect the sovereignty of member states and to ensure respect for the principle of institutional balance. I firmly believe that EU decision-making must respect the constitutional identity of member states and the rights that guarantee the ability of nations to make their own decisions. In addition to these commitments, I will particularly support pro-peace efforts and will not allow the citizens of our country to be put at any risk. In the coming years, together with my fellow Fidesz and Christian Democratic MEPs, we will strive to represent Hungarian interests and contribute to building a strong European Union based on cooperation while respecting the freedom of member states.

Cover photo: MEP Erno Schaller-Baross (Source:Erno Schaller-Baross)