On 10 July 2019, the European People’s Party (EPP) decided to nominate Mr. Balázs Hidvéghi, elected in Hungary under the Fidesz header, for the role of Vice-Chair of the Committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs of the European Parliament. While the Chair and three Vice-chairs of the Committee were successfully elected, the decision regarding Mr. Hidvéghi’s application for the remaining Vice-Chair position was postponed.
Mr. Hidvéghi was one of the chief communicators under Mr. Orban’s government in the past years. He has been particularly vocal during public smear campaigns in Hungary, specifically targeting political opposition, civic NGOs and critical journalists.
Having also in mind the suspension of the Fidesz membership from EPP in the run-up to EU elections, the undersigned Civil Society Organisations regret the choice made by the EPP group.
The reintroduction of Fidesz following the elections, and the appointment of one of its members as Vice-Chair of the Committee in charge of defending civil liberties across the European Union ring an alarm bell.
EPP knows that for years and until now, the Fidesz government limits civic rights, including freedom of assembly and association, freedom of speech and of academic work, as well as it restricted the rule of law in the country. Civil Society Organisations in Hungary have faced pressure, public smear campaigns, restrictive legislation and cuts in funding from the government on partisan political ground. Fidesz has been vocal in relaying the campaigns, including at the European level. A procedure of breaching the Rule of Law according to Article 7 TEU is also underway.
All these facts are contradictory to the very objective of the work of the LIBE committee. They lead not to entrust one of its representatives as Vice-Chair of its committee.
In order not to undermine trust between the EPP group and Civil Society Organisations, we are calling upon the group to review their choice and to suggest a candidate whose record shows an open and transparent dialogue with civil society organisations and a strong commitment to democracy, rule of law, Human rights for all.
To conclude, we are expressing our gratitude to the members of the LIBE committee who have postponed the appointment of a Vice-Chair. We wish the LIBE committee be provided with a new nomination that is acceptable for all those who take the mandate of this Committee seriously.
SIGN THE CALL
LIST OF SIGNATORIES
European Civic Forum | Europe |
Friends of the Earth Europe | Europe |
Young European Federalists – JEF Europe | Europe |
Transparency International EU | Europe |
Civil College Foundation | Hungary |
Association Européenne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (AEDH) | Europe |
International Federation for Human Rights – FIDH | France |
Hungarian Helsinki Committee | Hungary |
Libre Art – Association | Hungary |
Nyt Europa | Denmark |
CDI Macedonia | Macedonia |
New Europeans | Belgium |
Europe & me | Germany |
WWF Poland | Poland |
Državljan D | Slovenia |
Field of Dialogue Foundation | Poland |
Open Republic – Association against Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia | Poland |
Open Republic Association | Poland |
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights | Poland |
Go limpets | Portugal |
Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej (Association for Legal Intervention) | Poland |
Stefan Batory Foundation | Poland |
OSI – Sofia | Bulgaria |
European movement | Italy |
Solidarietà e Cooperazione CIPSI | Italy |
Documenta – Center for Dealing with the Past | Croatia |
Febea | Poland |
Imaginarium Foundation | Poland |
Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej | Poland |
Frso | Poland |
OKO.press | Poland |
Fundacja Wspierania Twórczych Inicjatyw Lyada | Poland |
Merkury Foundation | Poland |
Obywatele RP | Poland |
CIVIS | Poland |
La Ligue de l’enseignement | France |
Jugend- & Kulturprojekt e.V. | Germany |
Stowarzyszenie EKOSKOP | Poland |
National NGO coalition | Lituania |
National Network of Educational NGOs | Lithuania |
Access Info Europe | Spain / Europe |
Arci – Associazione Ricreativa Culturale Italiana | Italy |
Youth LGBT organization Deystvie | Bulgaria |
Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations for Social Services – FONSS | Romania |
Asociatia Betania | Romania |
Ligue des droits de l’Homme | France |
Centre for Peace, Nonviolence and Human Rights – Osijek | Croatia |
Akcja Demokracja | Poland |
Autonomia | Poland |
Committee for the Defence of Democracy / Komitet Obrony Demokracji / | Poland |
Centrum pre filantropiu n.o. | Slovakia |
ETP Slovakia | Slovakia |
La Ligue de l’Enseignement – Fédération Pas de Calais | France |
We Europeans | Germany |
Cap Magellan | France |
Hungarian Europe Society | Hungary |
Towarzystwo Dziennikarskie (Society of Journalists) | Poland |
Inicijativa za Razvoj i Saradnju – IDC Serbia | Serbia |
A Buon Diritto | Italy |
Lubuskie Stowarzyszenie na Rzecz Kobiet BABA | Poland |
Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation | Bulgaria |
Nadácia Centra pre filantropiu | Slovakia |
Fundacja Szkoła z Klasą | Poland |
eduRoma – Roma Education Project | Slovakia |
Altánok s.r.o. | Slovakia |
Not in our town civic platform | Slovakia |
Foundation ClientEarth Prawnicy dla Ziemi | Poland |
Klub Mysli Spolecznej Inicjatywy | Poland |
Information Society Developemnt Foundation | Poland |
Centrum komunitného organizovania | Slovakia |
Association for Culture, Education and Communication (ACEC) | Slovakia |
DRA e.V., Berlin | Germany |
Pontis Foundation | Slovakia |
Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law | Bulgaria |
Europuls-Centre of European Expertise | Romania |
Fundacja na rzecz Collegium Polonicum | Poland |
Fundacja Aktywności Lokalnej / The Foundation of Local Acticity | Poland |
Maria Galewska | Belgium |
Platform for Supporting Health of Disadvantaged Groups (PPZZS) | Slovakia |
Ekoinfocentrum ZOČSOP | Czech Republic |
AEDE-France | France |
Bulgarian Donors’ Forum | Bulgaria |
Maison de l’Europe des Yvelines | France |
PDCS, Partners for Democratic Change Slovakia | Slovakia |
Foundation for an Open Society DOTS | Latvia |
Institute of Public Affairs | Poland |
Nexes Interculturals de Joves per Europa | Spain |
Polska Fundacja im. Roberta Schumana | Poland |
Karpatská nadacia | Slovakia |
Asociatia Sprijinirea Integrarii Sociale (ASIS) | Romania |
Power of Humanity Foundation | Hungary |
Center for Independent Journalism | Romania |
Rehabilitation Centre for Stress and Trauma | Croatia |
Platon Part | Hungary |
Open Dialogue Foundation | Belgium-Poland |
Ogólnopolski Strajk Kobiet Sanok | Poland |
Foundation Solidarna | Croatia |
MEMORIAL Deutschland | Germany |
Nansen Dialogue Centre | Croatia |
Volonteer centre Osijek | Croatia |
Association for civil society development SMART | Croatia |
PROTAGORA | Croatia |
Centar za građanske inicijative Poreč | Croatia |
Udruga Delta | Croatia |
ADDP Association Defense de la Democratie en Pologne | France |
Centre for Women’s Studies Zagreb | Croatia |
ODnowa | Poland |
Asociatia Techsoup | Romania |
Open Estonia Foundation | Estonia |
Society for Sustainable Living in Slovakia | Slovakia |
European Movement Forum | Poland |
Post Bellum SK | Slovakia |
SOSNA association | Slovakia |
STUZ – SLOVAKIA | Slovakia |
BlueLink Foundation | Bulgaria |
OZ Za dostojnu Radvan | Slovakia |
Bulgarian Environmental Partnership Foundation | Bulgaria |
Polska Fundacja im Roberta Schumana | Poland |
Cyklokoalicia NGO | Slovakia |
Civil Society Development Foundation | Romania |
Chaloupky o.p.s. | Czech Republic |
VIA IURIS | Slovakia |
Center for Public Innovation | Romania |
Close to You Romania Foundation | Romania |
Open Lithuania foundation | Lithuania |
Civic Dialogue Association | Poland |
Center for Not-for-profit Law Romania | Romania |
CENTRAS | Romania |
Gabriela Tudor Foundation | Romania |
Center for Equality Advancement | Lithuania |
Open Society Foundation | Slovakia |
One World Romania Association | România |
ActiveWatch | Romania |
Shipyard – Centre for Social Innovation and Research | Poland |
Consiliul Tinerilor Instituționalizați | Romania |
CROSOL – Croatian Platform for International Citizen Solidarity | Croatia |
Netherlands Helsinki Committee | The Netherlands |
Orthodox Philanthropy Association in Alba Iulia | Romania |
Russian LGBT Network | Russia |
Impreuna Agency for Community Development | Romania |
Society for Sustainable Living | Czech Republic |
Asociatia Pro Democratia | Romania |
Association for International Affairs | Czechia |
Asociatia Mai Mult Verde | Romania |
Expert Forum (EFOR) | Romania |
Federation of Non-governmental Organisations for Children – | Romania |
Fundatia Un copil, o speranta | Romania |
Wolne Sądy | Poland |
Opportunity Associates Romania | Romania |
Front Europejski | Poland |
Fundacja Centrum im. prof. Bronisława Geremka | Poland |
Bratislava Policy Institute | Slovakia |
ECPI-Euroregional Center for public Initiatives | Romania |
Asociatia Centrul pentru Politici Durabile Ecopolis | Romania |
Resource Center for Public Participation | Romania |
Fundatia pentru Parteneriat | Romania |
SECS-Society for Education On Contraception and Sexuality | Romania |
APADOR-CH | Romania |
Human Rights Monitoring Institute | Lithuania |
Možnosť voľby/Freedom of Choice | Slovakia |
Friends of the Earth-CEPA | Slovakia |
Ravnovesie NGO | Bulgaria |
TERRA Mileniul III | Romania |
Bulgarian Huntington Association | Bulgaria |
GONG | Croatia |
Estuar Foundation | Romania |
Resource Center for Roma Communities | Romania |
Centrul Roman de Politici Europene | Romania |
Citizens Network Watchdog Poland | Poland |
SAPI | Bulgaria |
Assosiation of Bulgaria Coelic- Gluten free live | Bulgaria |
European Exchange gGmbH | Germany |
Nadácia Pontis/Pontis Foundation | Slovakia |
Dizabnet Federation – The Network of Service providers for Persons with disabilities | Romania |
Polish Donors Forum | Poland |
Czech Women´s Lobby | Czech Republic |
Asociatia Mediawise Society | Romania |
KOD International | Brussels |
ASSIFERO | Italy |
Open Space Foundation | Bulgaria |
Nadácia Milana Šimečku/Milan Šimečka Foundation | Slovakia |
OSSF Prague | Czech Republic |
Societatea Academica din Romania | Romania |
New Horizons Foundation | Romania |
European Movement Italy | Italy |
Romanian Academic Society | Romania |
Antigone | Italy |
Fundacja Kształcenia Ustawicznego PERITIA | Poland |
OPEN MIND | Bulgaria |
ePaństwo Foundation | Poland |
Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation | Czech Republic |
Laboratorio Politiche Pubbliche | Italy |
Lithuanian Centre for Human Rights | Lithuania |
Estonian Institute for Human Rights | Estonia |
Centre for the Study of Democracy | Romania |
NGO Center of European Initiatives | Estonia |
Association for Community Relations | Romania |
Center for Analysis and Socioeconomic Innovation (CAIES) | Romania |
Asociația Platforma Oradea Civică 2017 | Romania |
Impact Diaspora | Romania |
Zona Lovech | Bulgaria |
Berretti Bianchi Onlus | Italy |
Stowarzyszenie Intro | Poland |
CESI – Center for Education, Counselling and Research | Croatia |
Media Sud | Romania |
Centar za Mirovne Studije | Croatia |
Politiscope | Croatia |
Human Rights House Zagreb | Croatia |
Geremek Foundation | Poland |
ARCI Sud Sardegna | Italy |
The Center for Independent Journalism | Romania |
Eco-Breite | Romania |
Institute for Public Policy | Romania |
Asociația PortoJazzMusic | Romania |
Klon/Jawor Association | Poland |
Fundatia Inima de Copil | Romania |
Creactiv | Romania |
PNTCD MIZIL | Romania |
Academia Civica Bihor | Romania |
Asociatia Federeii | Romania |
UAIC | Romania |
Centar za zdravo odrastanje | Croatia |
Civil Rights Project Sisak | Croatia |
Iskorak | Croatia |
Legal Resources Centre | Moldova |
ODRAZ – Sustainable Community Development | Croatia |