The European Parliament adopted by 362 votes to 247, with 88 abstentions, a resolution on the situation in Hungary.
The resolution was tabled by the S&D, ALDE, GUE/NGL and Greens/EFA groups.
Members recalled that on 28 April 2015 following recent events in Hungary, the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, made a statement concerning the need for public debate on the death penalty.
On 30 April 2015, the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, issued a press release stating that Viktor Orbán had assured him that the Hungarian Government has no plans to take any steps to reintroduce the death penalty and will comply with and honour all European treaties and legislation.
Parliament insisted that the death penalty is incompatible with the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights on which the Union is founded, and that any Member State reintroducing the death penalty would therefore be in violation of the Treaties and of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. It reaffirmed in the most adamant manner that the abolition of the death penalty constitutes a milestone in the development of fundamental rights in Europe.
Condemning the repeated statements made by Viktor Orbán, Members denounced the public consultation on migration and the related country-wide billboard campaign initiated by the Hungarian Government. It called, therefore, for this consultation to be withdrawn as it casts blame on the EU institutions and their policies.
Parliament invited all Member States to participate in a constructive manner in the current discussion on the European Agenda on Migration.
Surveillance mechanism: Parliament deplored the absence of a reaction from the Council to the most recent developments in Hungary and denounced the lack of commitment by Member States to ensure the respect for the rule of law. It urged the Council of the European Union and the European Council to hold a discussion and adopt conclusions on the situation in Hungary.
In general, these recent developments have led to concerns regarding the principles of the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights in Hungary over the past year, which, taken together, could represent an emerging systemic threat to the rule of law in this Member State. This is why they urged the Commission to activate the first stage of the EU framework to strengthen the rule of law, and therefore to initiate immediately an in-depth monitoring process concerning the situation of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary, assessing a potential systemic serious breach of the values on which the Union is founded as per Article 2 TEU.
In parallel, it called on the Commission to present a proposal for the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, as a tool for compliance with and enforcement of the Charter and Treaties as signed by all Member States, relying on common and objective indicators, and to carry out an impartial, yearly assessment on the situation of fundamental rights, democracy and the rule of law in all Member States.
Lastly, Parliament instructed its Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to contribute to the development and elaboration of this proposal in the form of a legislative own-initiative report to be adopted by the end of the year.