On Monday in Luxembourg Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gave an address at the ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of the European People’s Party’s (EPP), the formation which brings together Europe’s centre-right parties. He said that without the EPP, communism would not have fallen in Europe, the Soviet Union would still exist, and its troops would still be stationed in countries like Hungary, which today would not be a Member State of the European Union.

Mr. Orbán said that over the past decades the EPP has always made the right decisions on the most important historic issues, it has stood up for good causes and has promoted its interest in a successful manner.

However, the Prime Minister stressed that if the European Union and the EPP wish to give appropriate answers to the challenges of our times, they must address issues more courageously and in a broader context.

Mr. Orbán said that he also conducted a number of bilateral discussions in parallel with the event. “These meetings also confirmed me in my opinion that we have a European Union from the 20th century, but a problem from the 21st century”, he added.

The EPP should not simply continue its work, but should recognise that we have arrived at a new chapter, the Prime Minister explained. In order to give appropriate answers in the fields of migration, terrorism and the problem of a constantly slowing European economy, we must think about the future in a way which is braver, broad-ranging and regenerative, he said.

Speakers at the EPP event included the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President of the EPP Joseph Daul, Chairman of the EPP Parliamentary Group Manfred Weber, Secretary General of the EPP Antonio López-Isturiz and former President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy.

The European People’s Party is the largest and most influential family of parties in Europe, with seventy-five member parties (including Fidesz) from forty countries. Its members include the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, the Heads of State or Government of seven EU and five non-EU countries, and fourteen members of the European Commission. The EPP Parliamentary Group is the largest in the European Parliament.

(Prime Minister's Office)