The adoption of a new report by the European Parliament condemning the Government of Viktor Orban comes as Budapest tries to give wages in Brussels, so as not to see his cut off.
Le Monde with AFP
One more way to condemn the government of Viktor Orban. The MEPs, gathered in plenary session in Strasbourg Thursday, September 15, proclaimed that Hungary was no longer a real democracy, by adopting a report brought by the French ecologist Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield.
By adopting this non -binding text, by 433 votes for (123 votes against, 28 abstentions), the European Parliament “deeply regrets that the lack of decisive action on the part of the Union contributed to the disintegration of the Democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary “. The report describes the Hungarian State as “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy”.
Budapest denounces “an insult” towards the Hungarians
Since 2010, Hungary has been led by the nationalist and ultra -conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, 59, who claims the exercise of an “illiberal democracy” and maintains bonds of cooperation with Russia by Vladimir Putin. “Things have changed dramatically” in Hungary in recent years, underlined M me Delbos-Corfield during the previous debate in the hemicycle, noting in particular that “the independence of justice is also Unlikely in Hungary that in Poland “.
“We know that it is the very family of Orban who recovers European funds,” she continued, also citing “the restrictions of parliamentary rights”, the spying of journalists, the government stranglehold on Universities, the “infamous law” against LGBT+people, “which resembles Putinian laws”, but also the tightening of abortion conditions. “If Hungary was a candidate today to enter the EU it would not be possible, it would no longer fulfill the membership criteria, this is the sad observation of the report,” commented the elected Fabienne Keller, of the Renew Europe group.
At the end of the day, Budapest denounced this vote as “an insult” towards the Hungarians, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter Szijarto. “I consider as an insulting towards the Hungarians that we question the capacity of Hungary to democracy,” he said at a press conference in Budapest, surprising that “some” in Strasbourg and Brussels “lower” his country.
blocked recovery plan
The European Parliament had sparked in 2018 a procedure against Hungary for “risk of serious violation of European values” (article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union). The country is also threatened to be deprived of billions of euros in European funding, due to the concerns of the EU on corruption and the conditions for passing public procurement in Hungary.
The Commission, which activated in April against Budapest an unprecedented mechanism linking the payment of funds to compliance with the rule of law, will propose on Sunday to suspend the majority of funds paid in Hungary under the cohesion policy. But it will take care to leave a way out in Budapest: the country could escape the sanction if it properly implements the reforms announced in terms of anti -corruption. Member States would have up to three months to decide.
To try to give pledges in Brussels, Budapest presented a series of measures including the establishment of an “independent authority” to combat corruption. Hungary is also the only EU country, including the post-Cavid recovery plan (5.8 billion euros) has still not received the green light from the Commission, for similar reasons.
In parallel, the Hungarian Minister of Justice, Judit Varga, began in recent days a tour of European capitals to convince European commissioners and its counterparts not to sanction her country financially, confronted with a difficult economic situation, on Foundation of rampant inflation and fall in the national currency.