Tavares-report „disjointed”

Today noon was the deadline of the submission for amendments to the report on the situation of fundamental rights in Hungary drafted by rapporteur Rui Tavares MEP. The Hungarian EPP delegation considers the report and conclusions based on misinterpretations, errors and falsifications being insulting, its style being unacceptable. To the report of more than 30 pages the FIDESZ members of the EP’s Justice and Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) led by Kinga Gál MEP supported by numerous Hungarian and non-Hungarian EPP MEPs submitted nearly 200 amendment proposals.

Part of the draft amendments are aiming at deleting those elements which – against the acquis communautaire far exceeding beyond the scope of the European Parliament – would intervene into the domestic questions of politics and public law. Another significant fraction of the motions correct the substantial errors and misinterpretations, while the third group contains such amendments, which present institutions and laws criticized in case of Hungary that are also to be found in the constitutional system of other Member States, pointing at the double standard applied against Hungary. Some amendments also raise attention to cases which indeed seriously violated the rule of law, such as the serious violations of human rights committed by the Gyurcsány-government in the fall of 2006. However, these cases were not seem to be concerning and worth negotiation to the left-wing majority of the EP.

The Hungarian EPP delegation has also objected to the fact that the Tavares-report does not specify in a fair and clear manner the norms of democracy and rule of law which should be valid for all Member States equally and demands regulations from Hungary which are not required from other states. Ágnes Hankiss MEP (EPP-FIDESZ) – besides her other motions – has also proposed the deletion of the whole report and its removal from agenda.

The Hungarian EPP delegation will do its best to avoid the adoption of the Tavares-report containing prejudiced and serious errors in its present form.

Background: the LIBE committee will expectedly vote on the amendments in the second half of June. The report will be on debate in the July plenary session of EP.