Hungary’s PM: Issue Of Death Penalty Should Be Up To EU Member States
- 8 May 2015 4:00 AM
The issue of whether to introduce the death penalty should be up to individual EU member states, the premier said in his regular Friday interview on public radio. “We want to canvass public opinion in Europe on whether introducing the death penalty should be returned to the legal competence of nation states,” Viktor Orbán said.
If this happens then “we can decide whether to introduce it or not,” he added. Asked about whether he was in favour of capital punishment, the prime minister said: “I am on the side of life.”
He said the issue should be seen in terms of what measures would be needed to protect law-abiding citizens.
“If we can protect them without restoring the death penalty then let’s protect them that way. But if it cannot be done in any other way, then death penalty must be restored.”
He argued the issue should be kept on the agenda. “Many believe if there is death penalty ... we live in greater safety; there is a big debate on this,” he said, adding that it is important to fully understand public opinion on the matter.
Source www.hungarymatters.hu - Visit Hungary Matters to sign-up for MTI’s twice-daily newsletter.
MTI photo: Koszticsák Szilárd
LATEST NEWS IN current affairs