Statement by the LIBE Chair on the invitation to Hungarian Ministers

Information on inviting the Hungarian Presidency of the EU to discuss its priorities and the situation of the rule of law in Hungary with competent Ministers.

On Thursday, the Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Javier Zarzalejos confirmed that MEPs continue to look forward to an exchange with members of the Hungarian government, in line with his letter to the Hungarian Permanent Representative, Mr. Bálint Ódor of 15 November.

“On 10 October 2024, on behalf of the LIBE Committee, I extended an invitation to Mr Bence Tuzson, Minister for Justice, and to Mr Sándor Pintér, Minister for Interior, to present the EU Council Presidency priorities in their respective areas of competence. Additionally, they were kindly invited to contribute to a follow-up discussion on the state of the Rule of Law in Hungary, focused particularly on matters related to justice and home affairs. I indicated in my letter that Mr János Bóka, the Minister for European Union Affairs, would be welcome to also attend that exchange of views.

The latter item was scheduled in order to allow the two ministers, as members of the Hungarian government, to engage in an exchange of views with the Committee dedicated to elements in their respective portfolios that have an impact on the rule of law in the country. At no point did LIBE Members invite the EU Council Presidency to debrief the Committee on discussions in the Council on Article 7.1 TEU proceedings during the Hungarian semester. While the Parliament has the right to be informed at every stage of that procedure, LIBE Members consider that such an exchange would not be opportune during the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council, given that Hungary is a Member State concerned by the procedure and taking into account the principle of sincere cooperation between the two institutions.

Having been informed of the wish of Mr Bóka to participate in this exchange, and of his unavailability on 17 October 2024, renewed invitations were extended to the three ministers for the LIBE meeting on 21 November 2024.

In preparation of that meeting, it has now become clear that the position of the Hungarian government is that only the Minister for European Affairs, as the minister of the Hungarian government with horizontal competences in the area of Rule of law, could participate in the second agenda item. I take note with regret of this decision, and have presented it to LIBE Coordinators; they could not agree to have such a focused exchange of views without the ministers responsible for justice and home affairs present.

Should the Hungarian government reconsider its position about the attendance of the Minister of Justice and of the Minister for Interior in both items of the agenda, alongside the Minister of European Affairs for the second one, the LIBE Committee remains available to re-schedule them at a future committee meeting.”