A French shadow rapporteur of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) told Hungarian daily Magyar Hirlap that he doesn’t support the report which Dutch MEP Judith Sargentini (Greens/EFA) prepared on the rule of law in Hungary.

“This report is another step in the war declared by Brussels against Hungary,”

Nicolas Bay, the National Front’s secretery general said in the article which is available in Magyar Hirlap’s print version. He added that the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group clearly expressed its opposition and vote against the report. According to Bay, they will prepare an alternative resolution for the plenary.

In an op-ed for Hungarian daily Magyar Idok, Judit Varga, state secretary of the prime minister’s office called the report a mockery of the rule of law. She stressed that the document refers to numerous issues that have been concluded and that do not belong to the authority of the community. When referring to international organisations, the report only quoted negative opinions, Varga pointed out, adding that the rapporteur is completely disregarding the basics of fair treatment.

In a Facebook post, the state secretary called the report a political indictment. She reminded that Sargentini only paid a private visit to Budapest, didn’t lead an official delegation and didn’t contact the Hungarian authorities. The rapporteur listed the organisations she consulted, and it’s clear that the vast majority of them are anti-government and don’t represent the Hungarian society.

Hungary Journal
Photo: EP