Stephen Harper seeks closer conservative ties with controversial Hungarian government

Former prime minister Stephen Harper says he wants closer ties between right-leaning political parties including the Conservative Party of Canada and the Hungarian government, which has been accused of democratic backsliding.

Harper chairs the International Democrat Union, a global alliance of right-leaning political parties that includes Canada's Conservatives as well as the Fidesz Party led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The two met Thursday in Budapest.Harper said on Twitterthey discussed "the importance of centre-right parties strengthening their collaboration."

Human Rights Watch says Orban's government has delivered sustained "attacks on rule of law and public institutions," such as surveillance ofjournalists and actions undermining judicial independence.

The European Court of Justice has repeatedly ruled that Orban is violating EU migration laws with policies hostile to asylum claimants whom he has referred to at various points as "a poison" and "Muslim invaders."

The Canadian Press has asked the Conservative Party of Canada and the office of current leader Pierre Poilievre whether Ottawa ought to have stronger ties with Orban's government.

Harper also met this week in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, wholeads a bloc of conservative European parties.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau chided Meloniin May over what he called "some of the positions Italy is taking on in terms of LGBT rights."Meloni later claimed his criticism was based oninaccurate information.

Meloni's government has required same-sex couples to register for shared parental rights, forbidding cities from automatically recognizing them.

Also Thursday, Harper tweeted that he discussed "the IDU's strong support for Ukraine." Orban has opposed multiple moves by the European Union to punish Russia over its invasion.

Orban has called on Ukraine to offer concessions to Russia, claimingKyiv cannot win against Moscow. He recently said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's handling of a mutiny last month showed his strength as a leader.

Harper faced criticism from international relations experts and the Liberal government in 2018 when he congratulated Orban for his re-election.

This spring in Washington, a bipartisan group in the United States Congress started working on a bill to implement U.S. sanctions on those close to Orban accused of corruption, on top of existing sanctions in place since 2014.