Sassoli wants Commission to ensure that Hungary's new law complies with EU treaty

EPA-EFE/Tamas Kovacs HUNGARY OUT
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (C-R) delivers his speech about the current state of the coronavirus during a plenary session in the House of Parliament in Budapest, Hungary, 23 March 2020. 

- Advertisement -

European Parliament President David Sassoli asked the European Commission to assess whether the new laws introduced in Hungary comply with the Treaty on the European Union (TEU).
“We want to get out of the crisis with our democracies intact,” Sassoli stated, calling EU’s Executive Body to examine Hungary’s compliance with Article 2 of TEU.
“The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail,” Article 2 TEU outlines.
On Tuesday, Sassoli heavily criticised Hungary’s move to vote in favour of a draft bill that would provide the government of Viktor Orbán with sweeping powers, under the pretext of the Covid-19 emergency, as it could lead to severe violations of fundamental freedoms.


The Hungarian Parliament approved on Monday a law that enables the ruling Fidesz party to rule by decree without a specific time limit and without proper oversight. It also foresees the cancellation of all elections and the ban of referenda, as well as hefty fines and even imprisonment for journalists spreading fake news on Covid-19.
Ursula von der Leyen issued a statement on Tuesday, warning member-states over the proportionality of their emergency measures to deal with the novel Coronavirus. However, the Commission’s President did not explicitly mention Hungary but made a general statement instead.
“It is of outmost importance that emergency measures are not at the expense of our fundamental principles and values as set out in the Treaties. Democracy cannot work without free and independent media, Von der Leyen said, adding that “It is of outmost importance that emergency measures are not at the expense of our fundamental principles and values as set out in the Treaties. Democracy cannot work without free and independent media.”

- Advertisement -

Subscribe to our newsletter

Latest

A Code of Conduct for the HR Outsourcing sector

The quote - often attributed to Deng Xiaoping -...

T is for tariffs

If the quick freeze and attempted shut down of...

EU officially implements landmark AI law

The EU officially implemented its new landmark AI law...

Trump administration unleashes first sanctions on Iranian shadow fleet

On February 6, the Department of the Treasury unleashed...

Don't miss

A Code of Conduct for the HR Outsourcing sector

The quote - often attributed to Deng Xiaoping -...

T is for tariffs

If the quick freeze and attempted shut down of...

EU officially implements landmark AI law

The EU officially implemented its new landmark AI law...

Trump administration unleashes first sanctions on Iranian shadow fleet

On February 6, the Department of the Treasury unleashed...

Tariff Trouble in Trump Town

President Trump has had many a cartoon about him...

T is for tariffs

If the quick freeze and attempted shut down of American foreign assistance through USAID was not enough, on February 10 U.S. President Donald Trump...

EU officially implements landmark AI law

The EU officially implemented its new landmark AI law on February 2, aiming to ensure safety and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence. The European...

Trump administration unleashes first sanctions on Iranian shadow fleet

On February 6, the Department of the Treasury unleashed the first wave of the new Trump administration’s economic sanctions using the tried-and-true U.S. Government/Treasury...

Global reaction to Trump tariffs only reinforces his use of this tired and risky strategy

True to form, U.S. President Donald Trump disrupted global markets with a three-day surge of tariff announcements, border security negotiations and ultimately a 30-day...

The New Face of an Old Enemy: The renewed dangers of ISIS and al-Qaeda

A dangerous cocktail of indifference and complacency enabled al-Qaeda to evolve from a shadowy fringe network in the early 1990s into one of the...

Donald Trump is inaugurated amidst promises of security, stability and prosperity

After storming a frigid Washington D.C. during his extended inauguration festivities on January 20, Donald J Trump, America’s 47th and 45th President, launched a...

The heat is on Trump’s fossil fuel push, climate change pushback

2024 has officially been confirmed as the warmest year on record, with global temperatures surpassing the 1.5°C threshold mentioned in the Paris Agreement, Alberto...

The Biden administration’s parting gift to Russia: Still more sanctions

Clearly working overtime to underscore the Biden administration’s desire to inflict maximum economic pain on Moscow and its coterie of Ukraine invasion supporters outside...