This can no longer be called a coincidence but rather a well-scripted maneuver that has been employed time and again by medium-size political parties in Central Europe.
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This maneuver involves having small parliamentary factions banding together – despite their ideological differences – just so they could topple strong right-wing leaders, something they could not do so at the ballot box. This, these parties reckon, would finally end their losing streak against the popular prime ministers, who are often portrayed as populist (and some are) because they have been pursuing a nationalist agenda that departs from the EU's official policies.
In a way, European nations have started to import the Israeli model of unseating a prime minister through a so-called "healing coalition" comprising an alphabet soup of parties that have yet to properly justify the name of their newfound alliance.
This is a clash between a conservative camp that seeks to promote clear national and religious objectives on the one hand, and a political array that has mixed approaches to such matters and has become fed up with being out of power. The latter camp is willing to bend its principles in order to implement a global, multicultural policy championed by the European Union.
In Hungary, the large opposition bloc formed to unseat Prime Minister Viktor Orban has just started its second round of voting for the person who would be their nominee against him in the general elections, whose repercussions will be heard all across the EU. Orban, who heads the Christian-democratic Fidesz party that no longer caucuses with the right-wing European People's Party in the European Parliament, has served as prime minister for 15 years. He has been at the forefront of the fight to close the EU's borders to massive immigration from Muslim countries. He has managed to pass reforms that bolstered his hold on power and also enhanced the Christian and conservative character of the country by countering the Progressive influences of the European Union.
Orban is also one of Israel's best friends in the European Union, and his government has occasionally blocked the organization from adopting anti-Israeli resolutions. His challenger will be decided among three contenders who vie to lead the united opposition comprising six parties that span from the Left to the radical right-wing party Jobbik party. The polls suggest that the race between Orban and the winner in these "anyone-but-Orban" primaries will be close.
In Austria, the chancellor recently resigned over a police investigation against him and his associates over alleged "bribery for positive coverage." He was essentially forced out after it had become apparent that an "anyone-but-Kurz" bloc was in the works and could involve defectors from his own coalition: The Greens. They had threatened to partner with the opposition parties, including the populist right-wing party Freedom Party of Austria (FPO).
Just two years ago the Greens joined Kurz's coalition despite his policies against immigration and Islam, but that didn't stop the Greens from actively threatening to ditch Kurz in favor of the FPO.
Kurz, a great friend of Israel, has stepped down temporarily in order to avert the "chaos" that would have been ensued had the "anyone-but-Kurz" bloc materialized.
Meanwhile, in the Czech general elections, a coalition of liberal and conservative-leaning pro-EU parties managed to squeak out a victory over Prime Minister Andrej Babiš' party. The main bloc of the anti-Babiš' alliance, called SPOLU ("Together"), is led by Petr Fiala, a former minister, and professor of political science. His success over Babis, another great friend of Israel, is due to the supposed conflict of interests the incumbent has and his alleged financial improprieties. Czech President Miloš Zeman, who will have the ultimate decision over who gets to form a government, poses the only obstacle to unseating Babiš'. Zeman, who has more in common with Babiš' than with Fiala, has recently been hospitalized.
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