Brussels, 05/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - The ALDE, S&D and Greens/EFA Groups in the European Parliament (EP) would seem to be coming together to call for sanctions against the government of Viktor Orban in Hungary, which has just passed a new constitution, with heavy nationalistic tinges, which undermines the independence of the central bank and the judiciary. The Orban government has also approved measures limiting the plurality of the press in Hungary.
On Thursday 5 January, the Socialist and Democratic Group in the EP called for “resolute action” on Hungary and said it was considering “sanctions against Orban's government”. S&D MEPs asked EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso to report, at the forthcoming EP plenary session in Strasbourg, on the recent, highly controversial laws adopted by the Hungarian authorities and on the initiatives taken by the European Commission.
The S&D Group is looking for support for this move from other political groups in the European Parliament. Hannes Swoboda said: “We stand on the side of the Hungarian population which has been increasingly put under pressure and strain by Orban's government. The application of Article 7 of the EU Treaty should be seriously considered if Orban's government continues to defy European law and values.” Should one of the fundamental principles of the EU such as liberty, democracy, human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law be infringed by a member state, Article 7 of the EU Treaty makes provision for action from the Council through sanctions against this member state, including suspension of that country's voting rights in the Council. “I welcome any action from the Group of the European People's Party to suspend Viktor Orban's position as Vice-President of the European Party”, Swoboda said. He also encouraged the suspension of membership of the Hungarian conservative party Fidesz, as long as Prime Minister Orban deliberately violates European laws and values.
Party of European Socialists backs Hungarian opposition. The previous day, the Party of European Socialists (PES) expressed its support for the Hungarian opposition and argued that the conservative government of Viktor Orban was no longer in control of the situation in the country. “Our role is to help build global awareness that the Hungarian government of Viktor Orban is out of control”, said PES Interim President Sergei Stanishev of Bulgaria. He hailed the role played by Socialist Party (MSZP) leader Attila Mesterhazy, who “is helping to building a domestic coalition for democracy” in Hungary. “The Party of European Socialists is committed to ensuring support for this coalition”, Stansihev promised. PES General Secretary Philip Cordery chided the European People's Party (EPP), of which Fidesz is a member, for its failure to take a stance on the situation in Hungary. “The silence on the situation from the European People's Party is becoming deafening. The PES calls on the EPP to suspend Fidesz from its ranks until such time as Hungarian democratic institutions regain their independence and their integrity”, he said.
On Wednesday, the leader of the Liberal Group in the EP, Guy Verhofstadt called on the European institutions to impose sanctions on Hungary in response to the “reactionary reforms” passed by the Orban government. He argued that the EU should immediately apply Article 7 of the EU Treaty which allows sanctions against member states which fail to observe the founding principles of the EU.
As early as 20 December of last year, the joint leaders of the Greens/EFA Group, Rebecca Harms and Daniel Cohn-Bendit wrote to Barroso to express their deep concerns over the effect of the Hungarian laws on legislative procedures. In a press release published on Thursday 5 January, the Greens/EFA call for proceedings to be opened under Article 7 of the Treaty. Harms and Cohn-Bendit say that the EU must now act swiftly to prevent any further possible moves of Hungary “towards an authoritarian system incompatible with European core values”. “The assaults of the Orban government on the freedom of press, the independence of the judiciary, the independence of the national bank and the severe restrictions of opposition rights are a serious and persistent breach of basic European rights”, they say. They also call upon the European People's Party to suspend Fidesz membership of both the European party and in the parliamentary group of the EPP, to last until things have been clarified and respect for European values has been re-established in Hungary. (LC/transl.rt)