By Anne-France White - 23rd October 2006
STRASBOURG: A visit to Hungary by the centre-right European people’s party president Wilfried Martens has caused a row between the European parliament’s political groups.
The EPP chief took part in an opposition rally organised by Fidesz, during which he reportedly said "The present Hungarian upheaval is caused by one man, [Ferenc Gyurcsany]".
His comments have caused outrage among the parliament's other political groups.
In an open letter to Martens, president of the party of European socialists, Danish MEP Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said he "ought to be preaching caution, not accepting invitations from [Fidesz leader Viktor] Orbán to street demonstrations."
"At the very least is it extremely poor taste to use the 50th anniversary of the1956 uprising to support an anti-Government rally," the letter says.
"At worst it is undermining Hungarian democracy."
ALDE leader Graham Watson also criticised Martens for his declaration, saying MEPs should "avoid political mudslinging".
The dispute comes as MEPs put out statements hailing the heroes of the '56 uprising, ahead of an address to the European parliament by Hungarian president Laszlo Solyom on October 25.
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