Decision of the EPP Group on Tamás Deutsch

Decision of the EPP Group

Adopted during the Group meeting held on Wednesday, 16 December 2020

1. The EPP Group is a pro-European, values-based political family. We believe in a European Union that serves all Europeans. A European Union based on freedom, solidarity, democracy and the rule of law lies at the heart of the EPP Group. These principles are non-negotiable and we expect all EPP Group Members to respect them.
2. We support EPP leaders Jean Claude Juncker, Donald Tusk, Ursula von der Leyen and Manfred Weber in their defence of EPP values and particularly, in their defence of the Rule of Law conditionality. The Rule of Law Mechanism is an historic agreement that we all should be proud of.
3. The EPP group strongly condemns the statements made by MEP Tamas Deutsch which are in clear contradiction to European Christian Democracy and to EPP values. As stated on the letter sent by Othmar Karas and other several Members, such behaviour has no place in our family. This letter remains on the table.
4. The EPP Group considers that the frequent attacks by Fidesz’ representatives towards the European Union and its values are not in line with the core beliefs of the EPP, namely the European integration, Rule of Law, independent judiciary, media free of political intervention, support of civil society, protection of human rights and protection of all minorities.
5. We therefore decide to:
   
   a) withdraw with immediate effect from Tamas Deutsch all rights to speaking time in plenary on behalf of the Group, to nominations as a (shadow) rapporteur or other formal positions on behalf of the Group as well as to any position or post belonging to the EPP group according to Parliament´s d´Hondt system until further decisions are made.
   
   b) call on all Fidesz MEPs to reflect on whether their fundamental political convictions still are compatible with the values and core content of the EPP Group and to act consistently with these EPP core values or draw the necessary conclusions;
   
   c) call on the EPP party to take a final decision on the membership of Fidesz immediately when health conditions allow this to happen.