Yesterday, the European Parliament debated the rule of law in Hungary. MEPs were concerned that Viktor Orban’s government had violated press freedoms, undermined judicial independence and waged a state-backed antisemitic campaign against Jewish businessman George Soros. It is also subject to allegations of corruption relating to the alleged misspending of EU funds by Mr Orban’s friends and family, while the prime minister himself has described refugees as “Muslim invaders” and been accused of being deeply Islamophobic.
The Guardian and The Independent report that British Conservatives and UKIP (of course) will vote to reject the report against Hungary, but it seems that the rest of the EPP bloc is undecided.
Mr Orban appears to be making this an issue of immigration (and the EU's policy by turns confused and dictatorial has not helped) but it is to be hoped that the EP will not be distracted from Hungary's breaches of the ECHR and other planks of EU membership.
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