Brussels, 10/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - Short of a major surprise, the coordinators of the European Parliament justice and civil liberties committee (LIBE) will, on Tuesday 11 January, agree to the request of several political groups and schedule an extraordinary meeting in Strasbourg next Monday on the consequences of the new Hungarian law on the media.
At the behest of the Socialists and Liberals in particular, a debate is, then, expected to take place with Commissioners Neelie Kroes and Viviane Reding. This debate will consider the consistency of the Hungarian law with the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Community directives with which this law must abide.
It seemed clear on Monday 10 January that there was a majority in favour of the decision to hold an extraordinary meeting. The EPP Group, to which the Fidesz party of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is affiliated, is not keen on such a debate. In a press release on Monday, the Hungarian delegation in the EPP slammed the “unfounded attacks” and “political scandal-mongering” orchestrated by the Socialist, Liberal and Green groups. It rejected the attacks which were founded, it claimed, on a lack of information and political malevolence and noted that it had the support of EPP leader Wilfried Martens and of the German delegation in the EPP.
There is no let-up in the pressure, however. On Tuesday morning, the ALDE Group will hold a public hearing on this issue, with Neelie Kroes and lawyers. The European Federation of Journalists has again called on the European Commission to act and has said that infringement proceedings should be brought against this law. (Cor./transl.rt)