The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), which includes the Czech ANO party, issued a statement yesterday expressing its disapproval of ANO leader Andrej Babis’s participation in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event held in Budapest earlier this month. The CPAC conference, organized by the American conservative group, was hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and received criticism from European liberals.

ALDE stated that it would assess the alignment of the ANO movement and its leadership with the liberal values and mission of the party following a decision made at its congress. As a result, Babis will not be invited to ALDE events until further notice. The statement emphasized that the views expressed at CPAC events do not reflect the fundamental values of the ALDE party and its members. The CPAC’s mission, according to ALDE, contradicts the individual rights and freedoms that are integral to the party’s identity.

ALDE is an important political force in Europe, and its members from various parties sit together in the liberal Renew Europe parliamentary group within the European Parliament. The party intends to conduct an evaluation of the ANO movement and its leadership to determine the extent to which they uphold ALDE’s key liberal values and mission. The headquarters of ALDE will subsequently recommend appropriate actions based on the findings.

At the Budapest conference, Babis strongly criticized the European Union, referring to it as “bureaucrats in Brussels.” He also voiced his opposition to the EU’s Green Deal, arguing that it would harm European industry and lead to poverty. Babis defended his decision to attend the conference, asserting his freedom to make independent choices. He dismissed ALDE’s criticism as insignificant and claimed it was orchestrated by an inconsequential Hungarian opposition party attempting to attack Orban.

Babis expressed confidence that ALDE’s response would not have a significant impact on ANO’s prospects in the upcoming European Parliament elections. He believed that the incident could even strengthen ANO, emphasizing their focus on seeking the support of Czech citizens.

The statement from ALDE highlights the internal debate within the party regarding the alignment of its members with liberal values. It underscores the party’s commitment to defending and upholding its core principles in the face of perceived deviations. The evaluation of the ANO movement and Babis’s future involvement in ALDE events will likely contribute to shaping the party’s direction and positioning within the broader European liberal landscape.

Article by Prague Forum