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Poland backs Hungary in rule-of-law row

PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki 13.09.2018 10:51
Poland’s foreign ministry has voiced “concern” after Eurodeputies on Wednesday backed a plan to trigger a punitive procedure against Hungary amid accusations of flouting EU rules on democracy, civil rights and corruption.
Members of the European Parliament take part in a vote on the situation in Hungary during a voting session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA/PATRICK SEEGERMembers of the European Parliament take part in a vote on the situation in Hungary during a voting session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA/PATRICK SEEGER

The foreign ministry in Warsaw said it “has noted with concern [Wednesday’s] decision of the European Parliament supporting the motion to trigger Art. 7.1 of the Treaty on European Union against Hungary.”

It added: “Each EU Member State has a sovereign right to carry out the internal reforms that it considers appropriate.”

According to the Polish foreign ministry, “measures taken against Member States lead only to the deepening of divisions within the European Union, by increasing the current distrust of citizens in European institutions.”

Poland will “vote against any possible sanctions” that could be “imposed on Hungary within … European institutions,” the Polish foreign ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, in December took the unprecedented step of triggering Article 7 of the EU Treaty against Poland, stepping up pressure on Warsaw over controversial changes to the judicial system by the country’s ruling conservatives.

At the time Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen vowed that his country would defend Poland against “unjust” and “political” measures by the EU.

Semjen said it was unacceptable for Brussels to exert pressure on sovereign EU member states and to arbitrarily punish democratically elected governments, according to Poland’s PAP news agency.

(gs)

Source: msz.gov.pl

tags: hungary
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