E-Mail During the past decade the European People's Party in the European Parliament was criticized for its unwillingness to vote for measures that would sanction the Hungarian Fidesz government, which is accused of breaching key democratic principles. Researchers have said the EPP protected Fidesz in order to safeguard Hungarian votes in its ranks and protect their own interests, but this support had weakened by 2019, when Fidesz was suspended from the EPP. Researchers analysed the votes of EPP MEPs for 24 resolutions covering the protection of EU fundamental values between 2009 and 2019. They found there was a "sharp increase" in the tendency of EPP MEPs to support these resolutions over time, and during 2011 to 2019 a below-average EPP cohesion on these votes compared to others.