Several members of Fidesz’ Patriots for Europe group remain seated during Ode to Joy at EP's inaugural session

Several members of Fidesz's new EP group, Patriots for Europe remained seated during the anthem of the European Union at the opening session of the European Parliament, Gulyáságyú Média has reported.

This is the first time the EP has met since its new members were elected on 6-9 June. At the beginning of the inaugural session, a string quartet played Ludwig van Beethoven's Ode to Joy, which is also the anthem of the European Union.

Gulyáságyú Média's video shows several members of the recently founded Patriots for Europe group sitting through the music. MEPs from Geert Wilders' far-right Dutch Freedom Party and the equally extremist Austrian Freedom Party, as well as Filip Turek, a representative of the Czech "Oath and Motorists" with a reputation for neo-Nazism, all remained seated in protest.

From the Hungarian members of the group, MEP Tamás Deutsch did not join the demonstration, but András Gyürk, also a Fidesz MEP, listened to the anthem seated, with his hands folded.

Similar behaviour was not observed in other political groups, but some politicians could be spotted talking on their phone, recording videos and talking during the anthem.

This was also the European Parliament's first meeting since the Hungarian government took over the Presidency of the Council on 1 July. Although it is customary for the presidency programme to be presented by the head of the government or state concerned, which would in this case be Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister did not attend Tuesday's meeting in Strasbourg.