2024-07-17 11:41:16
The new European Parliament started work – re-elected Mezzola, Von der Leyen is awaiting a vote for a second term on Thursday
MEPs have called for Hungary’s right to vote in the EU to be revoked because of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s “missions for peace”.
63 MEPs addressed in a letter to the President of the EC Ursula von der Leyen, to the President of the European Council Charles Michel, as well as to the President of the EP Roberta Mezzola. They claim that Orbán “has already done significant damage by using and abusing the presidency of the council”. Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council in early July, and since then Orbán has embarked on self-proclaimed “peace missions”. He visited Russia, Ukraine, China and the USA, as
without permission from anyone it was announced that represents the EU
Orban undertook several diplomatic visits, visited Putin and Xi Jinping, deliberately misrepresenting his powers, the MEPs wrote and demanded that the EP react to the actions of the Hungarian prime minister. The letter was signed by members of the European Parliament from a number of countries and political families, including the EPP, Renew Europe, the Left and the Greens.
A day earlier, the EC announced that its commissioners would not attend the meetings in Hungary within the framework of the EU presidency. The commission’s boycott is also linked to Orbán’s “peace missions”, which have sparked outrage in the union.
“In light of the latest developments marking the beginning of the Hungarian presidency, the EC has decided to be represented only at the level of ‘senior representatives’ during the informal meetings of the EU Council,” said the commission’s spokesman Eric Mamer.
On Tuesday, the first session of the new European Parliament began in Strasbourg, with former President Roberta Mezzola once again at the helm. She was elected with 562 votes out of 623 valid ballots and a necessary majority of 312. At the last moment, a second candidate appeared – Irene Montero from the Left, who, however, gathered only 61 votes.
In 2022, Mezzola became the youngest head of the EP, taking over after the death of his predecessor, David Sassoli. The Maltese was the first woman to head the MEPs in two decades. Before the vote
Mezzola promised “loud leadership”,
as well as continue to insist on the EP’s right to initiate legislation. “This must be a parliament that is not afraid to lead and change”, she added and paid tribute to the late Sassoli. “I will never hesitate to make the difficult decisions”, commented Mezzola.
She is one of the four key figures of the union who will lead it over the next few years. Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa secured the post of European Council president after EU leaders nominated him in June. However, current EC chief Ursula von der Leyen will face a tense vote on Thursday. This is also the reason why she missed the summit of the European Political Community (EPC), which is hosted by the new Prime Minister of Great Britain, Keir Starmer.