Fine Gael criticised for meeting with right-wing Hungarian Deputy PM

0
1106
HUNGARY meet with Fine gael

CRITICISM has been directed at Fine Gael after its Cork North-Central TD met with Hungary’s Deputy Prime Minister in Budapest.

Dara Murphy TD met his EPP colleague Semjén Zsolt in Országház –  the Houses of Parliament in Hungary.

Zsolt is the leader of the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) – which is in coalition with the anti-democratic Hugarian nationalists Fidesz.

KDNP is also anti-abortion, against gay-marriage, and anti-immigrant.

Dara Murphy TD said that he was looking forward to working with them to put forward an EPP vision for 2019.

Fianna Fáil TD Thomas Byrne criticised the meeting saying that the KDNP are part of a government “that cracks down on a free press” and that Hungary “basically criminalizes homelessness”.

“Fine Gael [is] now working with them on a common vision….yes, seriously,” he said.

Since Viktor Orbán became Prme Minister in 2010 with help from Fine Gael’s EPP colleagues, KDNP, his party has chipped away at Hungary’s democracy and clamped down on the independent media.