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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 6 March 2019

EU center-right group to mull kicking out Orban’s party

Associated Press weeks, he has angered
BERLIN (AP) — The Europe- many in the European
an Parliament’s main cen- People’s Party with a cam-
ter-right group will discuss paign of government ads
later this month whether accusing European Union
Hungarian Prime Minister leaders of promoting mass
Viktor Orban’s party should migration. They depict Eu-
remain a member, amid ropean Commission Presi-
anger over the anti-mi- dent Jean-Claude Juncker,
gration party’s latest cam- a fellow EPP member, and
paign against European Hungarian-American bil-
Union leaders. lionaire George Soros.
The European People’s “The European People’s
Party said Tuesday that it Party is a big family that
has received letters from can have its differences,”
12 member parties in nine EPP president Joseph Daul
countries seeking the ex- told Tuesday’s edition of
clusion or suspension of German daily Die Welt.
Orban’s Fidesz party from “But there is a limit and Vik-
the group, the biggest in In this Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019 file photo, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban delivers his annual tor Orban has crossed the
the outgoing EU legislature. “State of Hungary” speech in Budapest, Hungary. red line.”
That’s considerably more Associated Press The parties that have
than the seven parties in the EPP’s political assem- cide to kick out or suspend months before the May called for action against
five countries that its rules bly, which brings together Fidesz, which will be given 23-26 European Parliament Fidesz are from Belgium,
require. representatives of member an opportunity to defend election. Finland, Greece, Lithuania,
The issue has now been parties. Whether there will itself. Orban has been strongly Luxembourg, Norway, the
added to the agenda for be a decision is unclear, The matter is coming to identified for years with an- Netherlands, Portugal and
a March 20 meeting of but the body could de- a head a little over two ti-migrant rhetoric. In recent Sweden.q

Belarus leader wants closer ties to NATO, Western nations

By YURAS KARMANAU adding that Belarus will made from cheap Rus-
Associated Press seek to develop ties with sian crude. Lukashenko,
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — The the West and establish rela- who has won concessions
authoritarian president of tions with NATO. Lukashen- from Moscow in the past
Belarus on Tuesday called ko has ruled the ex-Soviet by raising the prospect of
for better ties with NATO nation of 10 million with an a shift toward the West, ap-
and lifted restrictions on iron fist for nearly a quarter- peared to try the tactics
U.S. diplomats, an appar- century, relentlessly crack- Tuesday, warning Russia
ent bid to win concessions ing down on dissent and that its pressure will force
from Moscow by dangling free media. He has relied Belarus to diversify its ties.
the prospect of rapproche- on loans and cheap en- He noted that while Russia
ment with the West. ergy from Russia to keep feels “allergic and even
Alexander Lukashenko’s his country’s Soviet-style hysterical” about Belaru-
statement on NATO fol- economy afloat. Last fall, sian attempts to normalize
lows a decision by his main though, Russia declared ties with the West, it will con-
sponsor and ally, Russia, to that it will charge higher tinue on its path. “Why get
charge a higher price for its prices for its oil supplies, hysterical?” Lukashenko
In this Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017 file photo, Belarus’ President oil supplies to Belarus. dealing a heavy blow to said. “You bar our products
Alexander Lukashenko waves to journalists as he arrives at the
Zapad (West) 2017 joint Russia-Belarus military exercises at the “If they shut doors to us, Belarus, which has been from your market, you call
Borisovsky range in Borisov, Belarus. we will search for another making hefty profits from us freeloaders, you pressure
Associated Press way,” Lukashenko said, the export of oil products us wherever you can.”.q