The EPP Group has adopted a decision on the conduct of MEP Tamas Deutsch during the Group meeting held on Wednesday, 16 December 2020. The EPP Group has underlined his pro-European, values-based political character that believes in a European Union based on freedom, solidarity, democracy and the rule of law that serves all Europeans. These principles lie at the core of the EPP Group, are non-negotiable, and all EPP Group Members should respect them.
Tamás Deutsch is a Hungarian politician and head of the European Parliament delegation of Fidesz party. The reaction of the EPP Group came after the Hungarian MEP has compared the Group’s leader to the Gestapo. It is not the first time Tamás Deutsch makes abusive remarks against the EU. On Wednesday 26 November, he has said that Brussels is on the way to implement a plan by US financier George Soros to bring more migrants into Europe.
The EPP Group supports EPP leaders Jean Claude Juncker, Donald Tusk, Ursula von der Leyen and Manfred Weber in their defence of EPP values and particularly, in their defence of the Rule of Law conditionality.
“The Rule of Law Mechanism is a historic agreement that we all should be proud of. The EPP Group strongly condemns the statements made by MEP Tamas Deutsch which are in clear contradiction to European Christian Democracy and EPP values. As stated in the letter sent by Othmar Karas and other several Members, such behaviour has no place in our family. This letter remains on the table”.
The EPP Group considers that the frequent attacks by Fidesz’ representatives towards the European Union and its values are not in line with the core beliefs of the EPP, namely the European integration, Rule of Law, independent judiciary, media free of political intervention, support of civil society, protection of human rights and protection of all minorities.
The EPP Group, therefore, decided to: a) withdraw with immediate effect from Tamas Deutsch all rights to speaking time in plenary on behalf of the Group, to nominations as a (shadow) rapporteur or other formal positions on behalf of the Group as well as to any position or post belonging to the EPP group according to Parliament´s d´Hondt system until further decisions are made. b) call on all Fidesz MEPs to reflect on whether their fundamental political convictions still are compatible with the values and core content of the EPP Group and to act consistently with these EPP core values or draw the necessary conclusions; c) call on the EPP party to take a final decision on the membership of Fidesz immediately when health conditions allow this to happen.
