By Martin Banks - 16th February 2012
We will support Hungary in the face of EU bullying
Gerard Batten
MEPs in Strasbourg have adopted a resolution calling on the commission to monitor "closely" the changes to some of Hungary's controversial laws and how it puts them into practice.
The resolution states that the Hungarian authorities "should comply with the recommendations, objections and demands of the commission, the Council of Europe and amend the laws concerned".
The document was tabled by the S&D, ALDE, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups and approved on Thursday, with 315 votes in favour and 263 against.
Political groups had spent much of the week working on the wording of the draft text.
It expresses its "serious concern" about Hungary "with regard to the exercise of democracy, the rule of law, the protection of human and social rights, the system of checks and balances and equality and non-discrimination".
The resolution also instructs the committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs to follow up how the commission and parliament's recommendations have been put into practice and to present its findings in a report.
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has tried to defuse the row in recent weeks by promising to amend some of the controversial laws. However, this has done little to placate many critics of the country's new legislation.
The new Hungarian constitution was approved by its parliament last April and entered into force on 1 January 2012.
The parliamentary resolution says that the laws raise concern about several issues, including the independence of the judiciary, the central bank and the data protection authority.
On 17 January 2012 the commission started infringement procedures against Hungary with regard to the independence of the central bank, the lowering of the mandatory retirement age of judges from 70 to 62 years old and the independence of the data protection authority.
The commission also asked the Hungarian authorities for further information on the independence of the judiciary.
The Hungarian government was given one month to respond.
UKIP MEPs on Thursday voted in favour of an alternative motion for resolution supporting the Hungarian government in its disagreement with the EU.
The party claimed that at the last minute before votes were due to be cast, the motion supporting Hungary was not available on parliament's voting materials site.
"This is clearly an attempt to stop people backing Hungary" said UKIP MEP Gerard Batten.
"They knew the vote would be close so they tried sneaky tricks to stop people supporting them. Needless to say, we will support Hungary in the face of EU bullying".
Batten said, "The Hungarian people should have the right to determine their own national constitution without by attacked by Europhiles who are looking for more control over the Hungarian government."
