Hungarian MEPs on Thursday were divided on a report passed by the European Parliament calling on Hungary to extradite former Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. Ruling Fidesz called the document an “ideologically-driven attack” on Hungary, while opposition MEPs supported it.
The report, which MEPs passed with 470 votes in favour and 116 against, calls on the Hungarian authorities to hand over all of their information on Gruevski’s case.
Fidesz MEP László Tőkés said in reaction the Hungarian authorities had handled the former Macedonian prime minister’s case lawfully. He speculated that “the migration issue and the Soros lobby” were behind the push to “oust and convict” Gruevski.
Socialist Party MEP Tibor Szanyi accused the European People’s Party of aiding and abetting Fidesz, saying that the Gruevski case was “further proof” that EPP was “incapable of keeping [Hungarian Prime Minister] Viktor Orbán, this real dictator, on a tight leash”.
Csaba Molnár and Peter Niedermüller of the leftist opposition Democratic Coalition said “the Orbán government has embarrassed Hungary on a global scale”. “We European Hungarians won’t put up with Orbán turning our country into a collection site for failed politicians, criminals and terrorists,” they said.
via MTI
featured image: MTI/EPA/Georgi Licovski