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A8   WORLD NEWS
              Thursday 13 sepTember 2018

            EU lawmakers move to punish Hungary over rule of law



            By LORNE COOK                                                                                                       and refugees — also hailed
            PABLO GORONDI                                                                                                       the vote.
            BRUSSELS (AP) — Hungarian                                                                                           "We  welcome  the  Euro-
            Prime Minister Viktor Orban                                                                                         pean Parliament's decision
            suffered a rare political set-                                                                                      to  defend  the  rule  of  law
            back  Wednesday  as  Eu-                                                                                            and  confront  the  Hungar-
            ropean  Union  lawmakers                                                                                            ian government's attempts
            voted  to  pursue  unprec-                                                                                          to  shut  down  civil  society
            edented  action  against                                                                                            and independent voices in
            his  government  for  alleg-                                                                                        the media and academia,"
            edly undermining the bloc's                                                                                         said  Heather  Grabbe,  di-
            democratic  values  and                                                                                             rector of the Open Society
            rule of law. Hungary called                                                                                         European  Policy  Institute.
            the  action  fraudulent  and                                                                                        "MEPs  across  the  political
            vowed to challenge it.                                                                                              spectrum  have  taken  a
            Despite the official rebuke,                                                                                        historic  stand  in  defending
            Orban  is  showing  no  signs                                                                                       the EU's democratic values
            of compromise.                                                                                                      and the rights of its citizens."
            While he seeks to keep his                                                                                          Grabbe's  organization  is
            ruling  Fidesz  party  within                                                                                       part  of  the  Open  Society
            the conservative European                                                                                           Foundations set up by Hun-
            People's  Party,  or  EPP,  the                                                                                     garian-American billionaire
            largest  and  most  powerful                                                                                        and  philanthropist  George
            group  in  the  European  as-                                                                                       Soros, an ideological oppo-
            sembly,  its  possible  ouster   Members of the European Parliament take part in a vote in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednes-  nent of Orban and blamed
            may  push  him  closer  to   day, Sept.12, 2018.                                                                    by  the  Hungarian  leader
            other  far-right  groups  in                                                                       Associated Press  for  promoting  mass  immi-
            Europe,  like  the  national-                                                                                       gration  into  Europe.  Soros
            ist Alternative for Germany  ist  Party  governments  that  gration  issue,  which  he  Treaty, reforms adopted in  repeatedly has denied the
            (AfD)  or  France's  National  led the country to the brink  predicts  will  be  the  main  2007  after  the  EU  expand-  allegations.
            Rally led by Marine le Pen.  of bankruptcy.               theme  of  European  elec-   ed from 15 to 27 members,  The     Hungarian    Helsinki
            The  lawmakers  voted  448-  "Orban will continue to rep-  tions next year, as one that  "for the purposes of Article  Committee,  which  offers
            197 in favor of a report rec-  resent the hard-line policies  goes  beyond  party  lines.  7 of the Treaty on European  legal  aid  to  asylum  seek-
            ommending  the  launch  of  sliding  toward  an  authori-  He  met  with  Italian  Interior  Union, the European Parlia-  ers  and  refugees  and  has
            a so-called Article 7 proce-  tarian regime, as until now,"  Minister  Mateo  Salvini  last  ment  shall  act  by  a  two-  been  a  frequent  target  of
            dure,  which  could  lead  to  said Andras Biro-Nagy, co-  month in Milan. He referred  thirds majority of the votes  Orban's  criticism,  said  the
            the suspension of Hungary's  director of Policy Solutions,  to Salvini, the leader of the  cast." This would seemingly  EU vote "has made it clear
            EU voting rights. Needing a  a political research institute  right-wing  League  party  exclude  abstentions  from  that  illiberal  democracy  is
            two-thirds majority to pass,  in Budapest. "Should he exit  and  a  staunch  opponent  the tally.                   against  the  core  values  of
            it  was  approved  by  69.4  the  EPP,  he  may  believe  of migration, as his "hero."  Orban's  critics  and  oppo-  the European Union."
            percent of the lawmakers.    that  he  has  an  even  freer  If Orban and his Fidesz party  nents  were  elated  by  the  Even  EPP  leader  Manfred
            For years, Orban had been  hand  to  bring  increasingly  are ousted from the EPP, he  outcome. Judith Sargentini,  Weber,  who  earlier  was
            able to deflect much of the  restrictive  policies  which  is likely to look to strengthen  who  presented  the  report  supportive of Orban and is
            international   condemna-    constrict  the  democratic  his links to the far-right in Eu-  prepared by the European  seeking to become the Eu-
            tion  aimed  at  him.  Critics  environment."             rope. For now, Orban says  Parliament's Committee on  ropean  Commission  presi-
            say Hungary's electoral sys-  Hungarian  Foreign  Minis-  he does not want to leave  Civil  Liberties,  Justice  and  dent next year, said he had
            tem  favors  the  governing  ter  Peter  Szijjarto,  echoing  the EPP but simply reform it  Home  Affairs,  called  it  "a  voted  for  triggering  Article
            parties;  media  freedoms  Orban's  longtime  position  into  a  party  opposing  mi-  historic result for Hungarian  7.
            and judicial independence  that  allowed  him  to  win  a  gration.                    and for European citizens."  "I have always been in fa-
            are  dwindling;  corruption  third  consecutive  term  in  "Orban  will  invest  even  "Viktor   Orban's   govern-  vor of building bridges and
            and the enrichment of Or-    April, called the vote "petty  more  energies  than  until  ment has been leading the  I want to continue to do so,
            ban allies with EU and state  revenge"  against  Hungary  now to build a 'Plan B' with  charge  against  European  but  yesterday  (Tuesday)
            funds  are  on  the  rise;  asy-  for  its  tough  anti-migrant  the  extreme-right  leaders  values  by  silencing  inde-  I  didn't  see  any  readiness
            lum-seekers  and  refugees  policies.                     in  Europe,  from  Salvini  to  pendent  media,  replacing  from  the  Hungarian  PM
            are  mistreated;  and  there  "This  decision  condemn-   Le Pen to Germany's AfD,"  critical judges, and putting  to  make  a  move  towards
            are  efforts  to  limit  the  ac-  ing  Hungary  and  the  Hun-  said  Biro-Nagy.  "Orban's  academia on a leash," Sar-  his  EU  partners  and  ad-
            tivities of nongovernmental  garian  people  was  made  true friends are no longer in  gentini  said.  "The  Hungar-  dress our concerns," Weber
            organizations.               because  we  Hungarians  the EPP; his true friends are  ian people deserve better.  tweeted.
            While  Orban  occasionally  have  demonstrated  that  in  the  European  extreme-      They  deserve  freedom  of  While  Weber  had  urged
            made  minor  amendments  migration is not a necessary  right."                         speech,    non-discrimina-   him  to  show  a  willingness
            to  disputed  laws  and  poli-  process and that migration  Hungary  claimed  its  de-  tion, tolerance, justice and  to compromise on some is-
            cies  to  appease  the  EU,  can  be  stopped,"  Szijjarto  feat  in  the  European  Par-  equality,  all  of  which  are  sues, Orban said his policies
            the  essence  of  his  efforts  said in Budapest.         liament  involved  "massive  enshrined  in  the  European  wouldn't change.
            to  centralize  power  within  On  Orban's  orders,  fences  fraud" since 48 abstentions  treaties."                "I have nothing to compro-
            his own ever-expanding of-   were  built  in  2015  on  Hun-  weren't counted in the final  Several  NGOs  targeted  mise about since the ques-
            fice has not really changed  gary's   southern   borders  tally,  which  made  it  easier  by the Orban government  tions they objected to were
            since  he  returned  to  gov-  with Serbia and Croatia to  to  reach  the  needed  ma-  with  restrictive  rules  —  in-  decided by the Hungarian
            ernment in 2010 with a two-  divert the flow of migrants,  jority. Szijjarto said Hungary  cluding  a  special  tax  on  people,"  Orban  said  Tues-
            thirds  majority.  Hungary  and  the  country  has  ad-   was  considering  legal  op-  activities  considered  as  day  in  Strasbourg,  France,
            quickly  adopted  a  new  opted  increasingly  restric-   tions to appeal the result.  promoting immigration and  after  the  debate  on  Hun-
            constitution following eight  tive asylum rules.          However,  according  to  the  criminalization  of  the  gary.  "There  is  nothing  to
            calamitous years of Social-  Orban  has  framed  the  mi-  Article  354  of  the  Lisbon  aiding  of  asylum-seekers  talk about."q
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