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.

Public prosecution office: EP rapporteur's statements 'false'

Hungary's public prosecution office has rejected "false claims" made by the European Parliament's new rapporteur on the rule of law in Hungary with regard to the status and activities of the country's prosecution service.

The prosecution office in Hungary "in each and every case" acts in accordance with lawful provisions, professionally and free from political influence, the office said in a statement on Wednesday, referring to Tineke Strik's remarks made at a press conference the previous day.

The statement said that Strik had failed to consult with the prosecutor's office before making her remarks and that she had posted on social media her presuppositions of what would be in store before her visit to Hungary.

Strik stated that the public prosecutor and his office were not independent in Hungary. The office's statement insisted that the government and the minister of justice cannot instruct the public prosecutor or his office, which reports to parliament and functions in the European Union.

This is in contrast to the "hierarchical" French and German model whereby in the former, the justice minister can instruct and recall prosecutors, "yet EU bodies have raised no objections here".

Hungary's prosecutor does not give instructions in individual cases and does not have the same authority as, for example, the Slovak public prosecutor, who can terminate the proceedings in any case without giving a reason.

Whereas Hungary, according to the rapporteur, "is one of the most corrupt states in the EU", Eurobarometer found that while 88 percent of respondents to its survey saw widespread corruption in Hungary, only 22 percent thought graft affected them in their everyday life, putting Hungary mid-field among EU member states.

The statement said the Hungarian prosecution office took direct action against corruption with all means at its disposal and brought charges in all cases where the legal conditions were met.

Source: 
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.

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