By Judi Tamara (Brussels)
The Hungarian and Polish rule of law was previously the subject of one of the first meetings of the European Parliament’s LIBE Committee after it returned from the summer recess. MEPs met again on Wednesday to discuss the European Commission’s latest reports on the rule of law and the state of play of Article 7 procedures.
Several left-wing MEPs complained at the meeting that the Slovenian PRESIDENCY of the Council of the EU had not commented on this issue.
It should be remembered that representatives of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU did not even attend the LIBE Committee’s hearings on Article 7, suggesting that the ball is now in the Member States’ court.
The S&D Group in the EP also asked questions on Twitter about the absent Slovenes. They wrote that the EU Presidency has a duty to press ahead with the rule of law proceedings against Hungary and Poland. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša then simply sent a message to S&D Euro MPs on his social media page:
We, the Slovenian EU Presidency, are fighting for a free and complete Europe while you try to destroy the EU. A disgrace indeed!
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister received the heads of state and government of several EU and third countries at the Strategic Forum in Bled, just in time for the hearing in the EP. Viktor Orbán also took part in the event.
It should be remembered that this is the umpteenth clash between Janša and the left-wing parliamentary committee in a short time. This spring, LIBE hosted a debate on press freedom in Slovenia, in which Janša also participated. The video requested by the Prime Minister was not played, citing the minutes, after which the Prime Minister left the online meeting. He later wrote on Twitter that it was unfortunate that the Commission was investigating press freedom while censoring a video showing its problems and atrocities against journalists.
Quelle: Magyar Nemzet
