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In angry Facebook posts on both Sunday and Monday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto is calling for “pathetic and hypocritical guidance” from the five Nordic countries.
– Of course, we can ignore it, but we represent a nation that is over a thousand years old after all. No one can question the democratic nature of Hungary and the maturity of the Hungarian people to decide for themselves, Szijjarto says in a recorded statement, among other things.
The anger refers to a letter sent by the Nordic foreign ministers to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, on the occasion of the additional emergency powers granted by the Hungarian government during the crown crisis.
– What we have said in our letter is that you must ensure that you adhere to democratic principles and that all exemption legislation must have a time limit and be proportional, explains Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde (S) for TT.
“Everything is fine”
In response to the letter, the ambassadors of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland were called in unison to the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. In addition, the countries’ foreign ministers have received a response letter from Szijjarto.
– He writes that everything is perfectly fine and that he does not think we should criticize Hungary, simply, says Ann Linde.
However, no Nordic silence awaits.
– We believe there are reasons for concern and that is why we want to point this out all the time, says the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
“It is absolutely crucial that this issue be discussed,” says his Danish colleague Jeppe Kofod in a written statement to the Ritzau news agency.
Debate in Brussels
During the Corona crisis, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his ministers, among other things, were given the right to rule by decree indefinitely, without having to anchor their decisions in Parliament. At the same time, legislative amendments have allowed prison sentences of up to five years against those who spread false or false information.
The decisions have led to review by both the Council of Europe and the European Commission.
– The European Commission has said that the crown law itself is not incompatible with EU law, but that it gives the Hungarian government far-reaching powers. Therefore, they will carefully examine the application of Hungarian law, and in particular all these decrees, says Ann Linde.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament will also debate the rule of law and democracy in Hungary. Many members are very critical, and have not been made more benevolent by Monday’s angry words against the Nordic countries.
“Laughing and ridiculous. Instead, it would be reasonable to allow the Nordic ambassadors to give a conference on democracy and free media to Hungarian ministers,” writes Swede Abir Al-Sahlani (C) in a statement.
Wiktor Nummelin / TT
Viktor Orbán, born in 1963, has been Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010, when his conservative Fidesz party along with a small Christian Democratic party obtained their own majority in Parliament. Currently, the government has the support of two thirds of MEPs.
As the Hungarian government has been given considerable powers to step up the fight against the coronavirus, the five Nordic countries have sent a letter to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, expressing support for her criticism of the measurements.
“We fully support his reminder to all member states that the measures taken under the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic must comply with national constitutions and international standards and the core of democratic principles. They must be proportional and limited in time”, Jeppe Kofod (Denmark), Pekka Haavisto (Finland), Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson (Iceland), Ine Eriksen Søreide (Norway) and Ann Linde (Sweden) write in the May 6 letter.
