Hungarian lawmakers propose curbing power of EU Parliament

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Lawmakers in Hungary passed a resolution Tuesday that calls for curbing the power of the European Union’s parliament, arguing that it has steered democracy in Europe into a “dead end.”

The resolution, adopted by members of Hungary’s governing Fidesz party, advocates giving national parliaments the ability to veto any legislation proposed at the EU level, thereby reducing the lawmaking power of the European Parliament.

It also states that EU lawmakers should be appointed by national parliaments instead of elected by elected by voters of their respective countries, as they are now.

“European democracy must be led out of the dead end into which the European Parliament has steered it,” the resolution reads. “The European Union must change, because it is unprepared for the challenges of our times.”

The Hungarian parliament approved the resolution as the EU continues to withhold billions in recovery funds and credit from Hungary over concerns that its right-wing government has not upheld rule of law standards or implemented sufficient anti-corruption measures.

The government in Budapest in recent weeks has taken a more conciliatory approach to demands from EU headquarters in Brussels, seeking to gain access to the funds as Hungary’s currency reaches record lows against the euro and dollar. The country’s economy is experiencing the highest inflation in nearly 25 years.

However, the resolution seeking to transfer a major portion of the EU’s lawmaking power over to national governments could antagonize EU officials, further hampering Budapest’s efforts to gain access to the badly needed funds.

Authored by senior members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, himself a fierce critic of the EU, the document says national governments and legislatures must be able to initiate EU legislative procedures. It also calls for a ban on the EU taking on any further debt.

In addition, the resolutions says the objective of integrating members more fully in European ways should be deleted from EU treaties and that Europe’s “Christian roots and culture” should be codified in the treaties as the basis of European integration.

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