Germany's Merkel offers Juncker solidarity in Hungary spat
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a joint news conference with the President of Burkina Faso Roch Marc Christian Kabore after a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the head of the European Union's executive branch has her full support in the face of a new Hungarian government campaign alleging that EU headquarters has purposely weakened the bloc's external borders to let in more migrants.
Merkel said Thursday: "Jean-Claude Juncker has my full solidarity, and we will also make that clear in our discussions with Hungary."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government has put up posters claiming EU leaders are taking instructions from Hungarian-American financier George Soros. The posters feature EU Commission President Juncker.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There have been renewed calls for Orban's Fidesz party to be thrown out of the center-right European People's Party group in the European Parliament, but Merkel sidestepped a question on when her patience with Orban would snap.