Brussels, 10/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - Concerns regarding democracy in Hungary have been confirmed, the S&D Group stated on Thursday 9 February in a press release after a marathon hearing at the civil liberties committee (LIBE). The hearing was on the situation in Hungary, which is facing three infringement proceedings on laws relating to the central bank, data protection and the age of retirement of judges, not to mention its controversial media law which are under Commission surveillance.
Kinga Göncz, speaking on behalf of the S&D Group, said: “Democracy in Fidesz's (Ed: Major conservative party in Hungary) view is the speedy adoption of more than 360 laws, without consultation or impact analysis. Democracy in Fidesz's view is the replacement of independent personalities with Fidesz loyalists in every state institution, no matter whether it has achieved through the reduction of the retirement age for judges or through dismantling the institutions themselves. Democracy in Fidesz's view is gathering the worst practices and regulations that are in force in the members states of the European Union”. The group also deplored the announcement made by Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracisc concerning compliance with recommendations made by the Council of Europe. He said Hungary would come into line with the recommendations “as long as they do not counter Hungarian laws”. The S&G Group therefore calls on Budapest to remove this doubt noting that Navracisc's reply “clearly reveals the ambiguity in Orban's government and its unwillingness to stick to international democratic principles”. Hannes Swoboda, who heads the S&D Group, will be in Budapest to meet civil society representatives and elected parliamentary representatives.
The EPP Group, however, consider such charges are overstated. It denounces the EP's “sentencing before the end of the trial” as an “authoritarian method”. The EPP has called on its counterparts to wait until discussions are complete between Budapest and the Commission before casting judgement. It deplored the “groundless political hysteria” and threatening with sanctions (Article 7), said Kinga Gal of Hungary, also denouncing allegations felt to be entirely objective and without grounds.
The ALDE Group remained true to its initial stance. Louis Michel took the view that the EPP is not budging from its strategy of accepting as commonplace the autocratic slide taken by the Hungarian government. Its conception of democracy is like “majority tyranny”. The Belgian deputy said all criteria today have been met for activating Article 7 of the EU Treaty and for initiating sanctions procedure.
The EP is to give its stance on 16 February in Strasbourg on a draft resolution on the Hungarian situation. The Council of Europe, for its part, on which Commissioner Kroes called on Thursday, and its Venice Commission, are currently studying a series of eight Hungarian laws (on the judiciary, religious freedom, the electoral system, protection of minorities and freedom of information). Its first opinions are to be published in March, said Andrew Cutting, spokesman for the Council of Europe. (SP/transl.jl)