Minister of State for EU Relations Judit Varga from the Prime Minister’s Office held bilateral talks in Brussels and Strasbourg with several Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) regarding the so-called Sargentini report, as well as with EU Commissioner Tibor Navracsics and Polish Minister for EU Affairs Konrad Szymański.

MEPs from the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (EP LIBE) welcomed the fact that the Hungarian Government is devoting increased attention to the administration of EU affairs and expressed their openness to close cooperation with the Hungarian Government. At the talks, the majority of MEPs agreed with the Hungarian Government’s evaluation according to which the Sargentini report it attacking Hungary for political reasons, without true legal arguments and in the most part because of issues that have previously been closed.

At the meetings, Ms. Varga put forward a detailed refutation of the criticism included in the draft report, and drew MEPs’ attention to the fact that the reputation of the European Parliament is also at stake during the course of the procedure, which has been employed for the first time, and stressed that MEPs should only give their backing to a legally substantiated report.

The majority of MEPs agreed that regardless of the existing political disputes with Hungary, in contrast to the statements made in the Sargentini report fundamental European values are not in danger in Hungary, and accordingly there is no justification for the launching of Article 7 proceedings.

Several Members of the European Parliament assured Hungary of their support and thanked the Hungarian Government for its consistent immigration policy and for taking a stand against mandatory resettlement quotas. The MEPs also drew attention to the fact that it is precisely for this reason that the European Parliament’s left-wing liberal majority is attacking Hungary using all possible political and legal instruments. The Hungarian Government will not bow to pressure and will not be changing its existing, consistent migration policy in view of the fact that at the 2018 parliamentary elections the current administration received a two-thirds majority mandate to continue this policy, amongst others, Ms. Varga emphasised.

The European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs is expected to vote on the Sargentini report on 25 June 2018, with a vote by the plenary session to follow in September.

((Prime Minister’s Office))