Manfred Weber, leader of centre-right EPP alliance in European Parliament, says Viktor Orban's Fidesz party has been suspended from the grouping. 

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's authoritarian style and anti-European Union, anti-migration policies have long put him at odds with many members of the EPP.

After daylong discussions among members in the European Parliament's biggest alliance, Weber said Fidesz "can no longer propose candidates for posts" in the group and said they cannot vote on issues or join major group meetings. 

"It was a very hard discussion," said Weber, adding that Orban was at the meeting in person. 

"The message was crystal clear," he said "The EPP was very clear and united ... that the suspension is needed."

 An evaluation commission led by former EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy will now follow developments within the Fidesz party. 

In a statement, the Nationalist Party, a member in the EPP, said it had voted for the suspension of Fidesz after a number of decisions that were not considered to be consistent with the beliefs of the European Parliament bloc.

The motion to suspend the Hungarian party passed with 190 votes in favour and 3 against.

 The PN said that Fidesz had embarked on an anti-EU campaign and had also changed legislation that led to the university leaving Budapest. These decisions should be reversed, it said, adding that Fidesz did not have a place within the EPP family.

The PN was represented by its international secretary, Roselyn Borg Knight, EP head of delegation David Casa and MEPs Roberta Metsola and Francis Zammit Dimech. 

 

PN Leader Adrian Delia will attend the EPP Summit in Brussels on Thursday morning.