The draft report prepared for the European Parliament by MEP Rui Tavares should stick to the facts with regard to the state of fundamental rights in Hungary, Minister of State for EU affairs at the Foreign Ministry Enikő Győri stated on Thursday.

She said that the Government had prepared its official position on the draft report and sent it to the Rapporteur, who is a member of the European Green Party. She added that she had personally met Mr. Tavares in Brussels and discussed the document with him. They exchanged views about "what can and what cannot be imposed on a member state", she stated after the talks.

At Thursday's press conference, the Minister of State highlighted that the report came out on May 2, and MEPs have until Tuesday to submit amendment proposals, after which the party groups can formulate their positions. This will be followed by a debate on the amendment proposals and the Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) of the European Parliament will vote on the document in June. The draft will go before the EP plenary session in June or July, and accordingly, the current text is expected to undergo several changes by that time, she added.

Regarding the recommendations made in the report, Ms Győri signalled that "If they tell Hungary how its Constitutional Court should operate, I expect them to make similar requirements of the other member states". The Hungarian Government also identified several factual errors in the report. The Minister of State pointed out that it is untrue, for instance, that Parliament adopted the Fourth Amendment after only a short month of discussion. Furthermore, Mr Tavares referred to a Venice Commission position which has not yet been published, and demanded that the Government comply with it, she added. Ms Győri emphasised that the Government firmly rejects the draft's conclusions concerning anti-Roma attitudes and anti-Semitism. The document "remains silent" about the fact that a series of murders targeting Roma citizens had taken place before Viktor Orbán's government came to power, and that the Orbán cabinet had introduced several measures against hate speech, anti-Semitism and anti-Roma attitudes. The Ministry’s analysis of the report can be accessed here.

For Ms Győri’s letter to LIBE Committee Chair Juan Fernando López Aguilar see.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)