EP Attempts To Set Hungary, Italy Governments At Loggerheads

Hungarian MEPs were not allowed to speak in the debate, while Eniko Gyori points to a breach of the rules of procedure.

Fotó: Teknős Miklós

The first plenary session of the European Parliament in February started with a debate on the situation of prisoners in Hungary, including Ilaria Salis.

Debate without Hungarians, with Hungary as a pretext

Telling is the composition of participants in the debate.

Below is the list of speakers in today's debate on the case of Ilaria Salis. No Hungarian MEPs were given the floor. The European Parliament attacks Hungary, but does not give us the opportunity to respond and defend ourselves. Shame on the leftist majority that does not recognize the right to a fair procedure,

Hungarian MEP Eniko Gyori wrote in her post on Facebook.

List of speakers in the debate 'The situation of prisoners in Hungary, including the case of Ilaria Salis'

This practice violates the rules of procedure, as Eniko Gyori also pointed out in her speech before the agenda:

The discussion of the next item on the agenda does not comply with rule 37/4 of the rules of procedure and is contrary to European values. A member state, Hungary, is facing severe accusations and I am not being given the right to speak in the debate as a Hungarian MEP. This does not meet the principle of a fair procedure.

Italy's left-wing MEPs were the main speakers in the debate. Opposition leftist Italian MEPs  tried to use their speeches to attack Giorgia Meloni's government for not taking a tough enough action in the case of the Italian detainee.

Of course, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was also targeted. Italian left-wing MEP Nicola Danti, Renew Europe group, called Viktor Orban a "worrisome friend" of Meloni.

As opposed to the mainstream left,  Italian conservative MEP Pietro Fiocchi pointed out that this debate should never have taken place. He saw the debate as another pretext to attack Hungary and Italy in the [election] campaign.

This was confirmed by French MEP  Jean-Lin Lacapelle, saying that

the EU is using this case to interfere in Hungarian national politics.

After the debate, Tamas Deutsch, leader of the Fidesz delegation to the European Parliament, told journalist that

all decent people, Hungarians and non-Hungarians, empathize with the victims. However, the articles produced by the European and Hungarian left-wing media aim at discrediting Hungary and making people feel sorry for the perpetrators while the victims are ignored.

He added that despite all attempts, no political dispute or conflict have been stirred between the governments of Italy and Hungary. He stressed that the Fidesz group in the European Parliament will protect Hungary against further unfounded and slanderous attacks from the European left.

Cover photo: Far-left activist Ilaria Salis's cell (Photo: Miklos Teknos)