EP proposes invoking Article 7 on Hungary – Reactions

Budapest, March 17 (MTI) – The European Parliament’s vote to propose invoking Article 7 against Hungary shows that Hungary’s leftist MEPs are doing the bidding of US financier George Soros, the communications director of the ruling Fidesz party said on Wednesday.

Fidesz: Leftist MEPs doing Soros’ bidding by proposing activation of Article 7

The EP voted to propose invoking Article 7 against Hungary based on a draft resolution submitted by the Socialists and Democrats, ALDE liberals, the greens and the radical left EP groups.

Balázs Hidvéghi welcomed that the majority of MEPs form the European People’s Party, the EP grouping to which Fidesz belongs, had voted against the resolution. He said Fidesz attributed the fact that certain EPP delegates had supported the resolution to the issue of illegal migration dividing Europe.

Despite the fact that Soros had “personally lobbied against Hungary” in Brussels, the majority of EPP representatives voted to adopt a “more sober” and “milder” draft resolution, Hidvéghi said.

Drawing a parallel with a 2013 report criticising the Hungarian government prepared by Portuguese green EP Rui Tavares, Hidvéghi said “the Soros report” was “shocking nonsense” and represented another frontal attack against the Hungarian government which it firmly rejects.

He said the resolution was “detached from reality” and contained a large amount of distortions.

Hidvéghi said Hungary was being pressured to accept migrant redistribution quotas. Only the Hungarian people have the right to decide whom they want to live together with, he said, adding that the Hungarian government would not change its position on migration and would continue to represent the interests of Hungarians in Brussels.

Fidesz-KDNP MEPs say EP vote ‘political attack’ against Hungary

The European Parliament’s vote on Wednesday to propose invoking Article 7 against Hungary is a shocking political attack, MEPs of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democrats said and added that they reject such attacks.

All other Hungarian groups except Jobbik’s supported the resolution.

The resolution submitted by left wing groups clearly aims to force Hungary to accept illegal migrants, the Fidesz-KDNP MEPs said.

They described the text as “far-fetched from reality and containing several distortions” resulting in an assessment procedure that could in effect influence next year’s elections in Hungary.

The Fidesz-KDNP MEPs welcomed the fact that despite the “continual pressurising by pro-migration [US financier] George Soros”, a significant number of MEPs did not support the “mendacious accusations of the left” and voted for a balanced assessment.

The Hungarian government is open to dialogue with the European Commission about all contested legislation but will not give up its policy to reject illegal migration, the MEPs said. Only Hungarians can decide whom they want to live with in Hungary, they added.

Socialists, DK blame government for EP vote on Hungary

The opposition Socialists said Wednesday’s EP vote to propose invoking Article 7 against Hungary showed that Europe was “fed up with” the actions of the Hungarian government.

The European Parliament has sent a clear message to the Hungarian government. The vote is the result of the government’s “anti-democratic decisions”, the planned law on NGOs and the “attack” against free universities, party leader Gyula Molnár said.

The process of suspending Hungary’s voting rights has started, which is an unprecedented situation, Molnár said. The decision was made not by Brussels and not by US financier George Soros but by the EP, with supporting votes also from conservatives, he added.

He noted that the current decision does not involve any sanctions or damage for Hungarian people.

From this moment, what’s at stake in the 2018 elections is choosing between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Europe, he said.

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) said in reaction to the EP vote that if Orbán remained premier next year, Hungary could “bid farewell to its EU membership”. DK spokesman Zsolt Gréczy told a press conference that the fact that the EP resolution was also supported by MEPs of the European People’s Party, the EP grouping to which Fidesz belongs, showed that Orbán was left without supporters in Europe.

Source: MTI