During the plenary session of the European Parliament (30-31 January 2019) in Brussels, MEPs assess the current situation in Hungary and debate the developments since September 2018 in the country regarding the rule of law and fundamental rights. Statements by Melania-Gabriela CIOT, Romanian Secretary of State for European Affairs, Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Tamás DEUTSCH (EPP, HU), Josef WEIDENHOLZER (S&D, AU), Anders Primdahl VISTISEN (ECR, DK) and Judith SARGENTINI (Greens/EFA, NL).

Brussels

debate

plenary session

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL)

WEIDENHOLZER, Josef (S&D, AT)

SARGENTINI, Judith (Greens/EFA, NL)

EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (T)

EU - Hungary (T)

VISTISEN, Anders (PfE, DK)

DEUTSCH, Tamás (PfE, HU)

CIOT, Melania-Gabriela (RO)

The rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary, developments since September 2018: extracts from the debate

SOUNDBITE (English), Melania-Gabriela CIOT, Romanian Secretary of State for European Affairs, The Romanian Presidency and indeed all of us agree that the protection of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights is essential in our Union. on 18 September the Council received the European Parliament recent proposal under article 7(1) calling on the Council to determine that there is a serious risk of a breach by Hungary of the values in which is the Union is funded.

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Let me inform you that in November, following your request made by the Austrian Presidency, the Commission presented to the Council a factual overview on its actions as regard Hungary in particular the values related to infringement proceedings. This relates in particular to asylum and assistance to asylum seekers, civil society, higher education, school segregation of ROMA. Most of this cases are already pending before the Court of Justice. As you know, the Hungarian government already provided their reply to recent proposal. I do believe that the Council now has all the key elements necessary to start with its own assessment of the issues raised.

SOUNDBITE (Hungarian), Tam&#225;s DEUTSCH (EPP, HU), The real actual reason for this is the European elections, the left-wing liberal majority has once again declared war on Hungary. Why is this happening? It is very important issue in Hungary which is basically that most people in Hungary agree regardless of the party they belong to, that they do not want to see migration, most people here want to support migration and believe it is a human right, they want to legalise illegal migration.

SOUNDBITE (German), Josef WEIDENHOLZER (S&amp;D, AU), Hungaryis becoming a facade of a democracy, where the media and judiciary are on the spot, academic freedom is on the line, they are under threat. Conspiracy theories have replace who headed political analysis. It is surprising that the Council is still not taking serious steps to move closer to the Parliament resolution. It is not possible for a member states to move further away from common values. Simply accepting that will mean abandoning the common European project, and I hope that the President will not postpone this any further.

SOUNDBITE (Danish), Anders Primdahl VISTISEN (ECR, DK), It is interesting to once again see this Parliament bashing against Hungary when it comes to the rule of law and democracy, it is the very same House that permanent member have propose to take away travel allowances of people they disagree with, the same House that in this very Plenary session are going to vote on amendments regarding rules of procedure that are a clear attack from the majority against minority views in the Parliament. If you cannot see that hypocrisy, you must have been in the European Parliament for to long.

SOUNDBITE (English), Judith SARGENTINI (Greens/EFA, NL), The Central European University has to leave to Vienna because the agreement with the State of New York is not going to be signed. Homeless must be made punishable crime, a new administrative court have been set up overseen by the Justice minister. The former Macedonian Prime Minister sentenced for corruption got refugee status in an eye blink. 450 pro government media outlets were merged into a single conglomerate, and the Parliament passed the slave law. [...] Hungarian citizens have the right for protection and have the right to know what are you planning to do. European voters have the right to know what their political leaders are going to do, so I ask you to take their responsibility, to invite me to the Council and start a real process.