European People's Party (EPP) President Donald Tusk has announced that the political group will expel Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party from its group by the end of the year.

Speaking to Germany's "Der Spiegel", Tusk said the Hungarian state of emergency law may not be in dispute with legal jurisdiction, but that "it has nothing to do with the spirit of democracy".The European Union has criticized Hungary for its authoritative response to the coronavirus pandemic. The parliament in Budapest, where Fidesz has a majority, passed laws in late March that give the government exceptional powers. The law allows Orban to rule through timeless restrictions, and the law provides high prison sentences for anyone found to be obstructing the implementation of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus or spreading false information.Tusk did not specify when the next EPP meeting would take place, but hinted that it could happen in September. "And then it will be time to make decisions," Tusk said.