It is unacceptable that Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, is using the EU institutions for her own re-election campaign, Fidesz MEP Gál Kinga, vice-chairman of the Patriots for Europe faction, stated in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
The representative stated that the committee president decided on Monday that his body will be represented at the informal meetings of the EU Council at the level of senior civil servants, and that the college of commissioners made up of members of the European Commission will not visit Hungary. According to Gál Kinga
"it has become common for von der Leyen to assert political goals in cases where she would not be able to do so."
"Here is an example of the withholding of EU funds rightfully due to Hungary, which he practically used for blackmail and pressure," he pointed out. He reminded that one of the vice-presidents of the EU committee, Margarítísz Szkínász, had already spoken openly about this and admitted that the withholding of financial assets could be used as an exercise of pressure. The Fidesz politician drew attention to the fact that what von der Leyen is doing practically goes against everything that concerns good faith cooperation between institutions and the proper functioning of institutions. In his opinion, it is not up to von der Leyen or the European Commission to say with whom he cooperates or not, because "these are laid down rules that have worked well so far."
"Just because von der Leyen must definitely win the presidential election due on Thursday, and the votes necessary for re-election seem to be difficult to gather, he would not be able to take such a step even then"
he said.
He added that, according to the Patriots for Europe faction, the committee's "unprincipled pacts, political games, and blackmail must be put to an end, and change is needed against both the Brussels bureaucracy, the beneficiaries of these pacts, and the maintainers of the status quo."
Regarding the fact that the socialist, liberal, green, left-wing and populist politicians of the EP would prevent any member of the Patriots for Europe group from holding a parliamentary leadership position, Kinga Gál said:
"this is a classic example of how the mainstream in the EP does not follow the rules of the game of democracy".
As he said, this is "ridiculous and outrageous, since those who preach and educate others about democracy and the rule of law, do not themselves observe the basic rules of democracy, and even go against them." He also believes that it is conceivable that this case could end up in court, because according to the parliamentary system, the Patriots for Europe faction has two vice-presidential and one alderman positions.
"They try to ignore this, only because the mainstream doesn't like the political color of the faction. This is how they would be punished, because this political faction does not represent the position of war, but is fighting for a stand in favor of peace"
he emphasized.
MTI
Featured image: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, top candidate of the European People's Party (EPP) and party leader Manfred Weber (b) at the party's results conference in Brussels on the evening of the European Parliament elections, June 9, 2024. MTI/AP/Geert Vanden Wijngaert
