Two LIBE delegation members call for stopping ‘witch-hunt’ against Hungary
Nicolas Bay, the French deputy leader of the Identity and Democracy group, and Jorge Buxade Villalba, the Spanish member of the European Conservatives and Reformists group, held a joint press conference in Budapest after a three-day visit by the LIBE delegation.
Bay called the ongoing Article 7 procedure against Hungary a “show trial” that the EP had started to attack the Hungarian government.
Three-quarters of the people heard by the LIBE delegation during its visit, including politicians, civilians, judges and others, had ties to the left wing and failed to “properly represent Hungarian society”, he added. Over the three days, nobody managed to give even a single example showing that the rule of law was violated in Hungary, he said.
An opposition primary held recently demonstrated that Hungary had a “living and healthy democracy”, Bay said.
Judges of the supreme court Kuria, Justice Minister Judit Varga and Interior Minister Sandor Pinter whom the LIBE delegation met made it clear that Hungary was a properly working democracy with an independent judiciary, Bay said, describing the attacks by EU institutions against Hungary as harrasment that must be stopped.
Villalba drew the conclusion from the visit that Hungary had a perfectly working democracy, one that is even better than in other member states. The liberal parties, including the European People’s Party, are only interested in using the EU’s institutional framework to pave the way for the defeat of Hungary’s government, ruling Fidesz and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, he said, adding that the same applies to the procedure against Poland and against any politician who stands up for traditions and national identity.
In a joint statement, Bay and Villalba called for an end to the “witch-hunt” against Hungary. They said “a campaign by Brussels and the left wing” only served to destabilise a sovereign government which enjoyed unquestionable support from voters. “Its only sin is that it protects Hungarian people, national and European identity, conservative values, the family, and says no to mass migration,” they said.
