International press reports on Hungary's fourth constitutional amendment are misleading, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Strasbourg, where he attended a European People’s Party (EPP) group meeting on Tuesday. Following the meeting, he travelled to London to attend Margaret Thatcher's funeral ceremony.

The Prime Minister met with the EPP parliamentary group prior to Wednesday’s European Parliament (EP) plenary debate about the Hungarian constitution. The debate was originally planned last month as a priority event but it has since been modified to a meeting of less than an hour with most group leaders absent. The EP's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) has also indicated that their report on Hungary will only be completed by the end of May. On Tuesday, the Hungarian Prime Minister met with Joseph Daul, head of the EPP’s parliamentary group and EP President Martin Schulz, with the latter proposing that he should only attend the plenary session on Hungary in June rather than today.

At a press conference late on Tuesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that he had received several substantive questions during the EPP meeting concerning issues "that are difficult to understand and often get misinterpreted in international press reports". In the context of the fourth amendment to the Hungarian constitution, he pointed out that reports indicating that the Constitutional Court's powers to review cardinal laws had been restricted, the independence of courts was compromised or homeless had been criminalised were mistaken. He also told the press that the EPP rejects double standards and shows respect to EU nations. The contents of the Hungarian Fundamental Law can be found in the practice of other countries, he stated, adding that "we must focus on presenting our arguments at the June/July EP session".

Minister of State for Justice Róbert Répássy has proposed a motion in Hungarian Parliament addressing the concerns raised by the European Commission. The motion would prohibit the re-election of the President of the National Judiciary Office (OBH), curb its powers to transfer cases to certain courts, and allow party political broadcasts to also be aired in independent media.

(Prime Minister’s Office)