Situation Deteriorating Further on Rule of Law in Hungary, Says EP Rapporteur
- 9 Oct 2024 6:06 AM
The situation on the rule of law has further deteriorated in Hungary, permanent Hungarian rapporteur of the European Parliament Tineke Strik said on Tuesday, also criticising the Hungarian government for the lack of judicial independence and the increase in corruption.
Strik told a joint press conference held with other EP officials that, despite the ongoing Article 7 procedure against Hungary, the state of the rule of law had deteriorated further. Several decisions of the European Court were yet to be implemented, she said.
The Dutch Greens MEP warned of the lack of media pluralism in Hungary, and said that NGOs and human rights defenders were subject to smear campaigns and intimidation, "now legalised by the National Sovereignty Act."
The EU must show zero tolerance against such open breaches of democracy and the fundamental rights, the cornerstones of the European Union, she said.
"The programme of Hungary's EU presidency speaks about defending our democracies but how can this credibly come from a government that continuously sidelines its own parliament and rules by decree," she said.
"The Hungarian presidency claims to be committed to transparency and integrity, yet the government keeps its own Integrity Authority completely toothless and in the dark. How can the Hungarian government credibly fulfil its commitment to the fight against corruption when itself is being named as one of the most corrupted governments in the EU," she added.
Michal Wawrykiewicz, a Polish representative of the European People's Party, highlighted the importance of judicial independence and said the Hungarian society must be protected from its own government.
Fabienne Keller, a member of the Renew Europe group, said it was time to express solidarity with the Hungarian people but remain resolute against the Hungarian government.
Source:
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.
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