European centre-right's Weber calls for freezing of Fidesz's voting rights

Manfred Weber, the centre-right's lead candidate in the upcoming European Parliament meeting called for Hungary's Fidesz party to have its voting rights frozen temporarily over concerns that it was flouting the rule of law, participants in a meeting said.

Weber, who was addressing a committee of the European People's Party that is due to vote on Wednesday on whether to suspend or expel Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's party, said that a three-man committee should be set up to evaluate ties between Fidesz and the party group.

"We'll set up an evaluation committee, with three people, chaired by (former European Council president) Herman Van Rompuy," he said. "The final judgement of Van Rompuy will have enormous political bearing." (Reporting by Marton Dunai, writing by Thomas Escritt, editing by Foo Yun Chee)