Foreign Minister János Martonyi declared that the Hungarian Government did not recall Constitutional Court President Péter Paczolay from the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, but instead Paczolay’s four-year term had ended.

The Hungarian Government chose to nominate another expert to the Commission, but this decision cast no doubt on the scholarly expertise of Mr Paczolay. His outstanding achievements in the fields of legal and political science cannot be called into question, the Minister added.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister pointed out that the Statute of the Venice Commission clearly stated: the member and substitute would be appointed by the Member State, that is, by the Government of Hungary. He stressed that the mandates of both the member – Péter Paczolay – and the substitute member – László Trócsányi – of the Venice Commission, delegated by the Hungarian Government had come to an end on August 1, 2013. Consequently, they were not discharged by the Hungarian Government, but rather new experts were delegated to the Commission after their mandates had expired.

The Hungarian Government did not question the fact that both Péter Paczolay and László Trócsányi met the requirements for becoming a member or a substitute member of the Venice Commission as defined by the Statute of the Venice Commission – „The Commission shall be composed of independent experts who have achieved eminence through their experience in democratic institutions or by their contribution to the enhancement of law and political science” – the Hungarian Foreign Minister stated.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)