The European Parliament group of Fidesz-KDNP stated in a press release on Tuesday that Péter Magyar and the Tisza Party have taken the construction of an autocratic regime in Hungary to a new level by initiating show trials.
According to the press release, Tamás Deutsch, the head of the Fidesz-KDNP European Parliament delegation, and Kinga Gál, the president of the delegation, wrote in a letter to Members of the European Parliament that the new power had previously carried out a “constitutional coup” in Hungary and has now initiated show trials “in order to forcibly eliminate the political opposition.”
The Fidesz politicians wrote that the new parliamentary majority, through retroactive and personally tailored legislation — in a manner unprecedented in Europe — prevented the leader of the opposition from returning to the post of prime minister; that it had severely curtailed the voting rights of Hungarian citizens in order to remove opposition politicians from public life; that it had removed the head of state with the stroke of a pen three years before the expiry of his mandate; and that, in a similar fashion, several members of the Constitutional Court, including its president, had also been removed from their positions.
According to the Fidesz-KDNP delegation, two months ago Péter Magyar publicly accused and threatened with imprisonment Balázs Hankó, the former Minister of Culture and Innovation and current Fidesz member of parliament, during a session of the National Assembly. They added that when Balázs Hankó requested the floor to refute the charges made against him, Péter Magyar instructed the Speaker of the House to revoke his speaking rights, and called on Tisza members of parliament to publicly humiliate the former Fidesz culture minister.
According to the letter, a “show trial based on fabricated grounds” was subsequently launched against Balázs Hankó, the initiation of which Péter Magyar announced in advance on his Facebook page.
According to Tamás Deutsch and Kinga Gál, this “gravely violates the independence of the judiciary.” The Tisza parliamentary majority has already decided, through an expedited procedure, to suspend the immunity of the former Fidesz culture minister. Balázs Hankó refuted point by point, before the public of the country, the false charges brought against him, they wrote.
In their letter, the Fidesz-KDNP politicians wrote that “an authoritarian system based on hatred and intimidation, built on the daily abuse of power” is being established in Hungary. They claim it has become standard practice for Péter Magyar to openly instruct the police and the prosecution service, and that the purpose of the proceedings they describe as show trials is the complete elimination of the opposition.
“The Fidesz-KDNP delegation to the European Parliament condemns these grave abuses of power and stands with the victims of arbitrary rule,” said Kinga Gál and Tamás Deutsch, adding that they stand by their principles, their values, and every member of their political community.
Artificial intelligence was used for the translation of parts of the original Hungarian text.