It’s deeply disturbing, but those reports I referred to in my previous post turned out to be correct. The sponsors of this proposal and European Parliament’s left-liberal camp resorted to an underhanded voting trick in order to pass the resolution.
According to the founding treaties of the European Union, two criteria should be met in the EP to pass this resolution. It must win the support of 50 percent plus one of all MEPs – which would be at least 376 votes in today’s European Parliament – and those votes should constitute a two-thirds majority of all those present. Rule 178 on voting specifically states that:
“In calculating whether a text has been adopted or rejected account shall be taken only of votes cast for and against, except where a specific majority is laid down by the Treaties.” (emphasis added).
The Treaties, of course, do indeed lay down a specific majority of two thirds.
In today’s vote, 448 MEPs voted in favor, 197 against with 48 abstentions. Do the math. That’s not two thirds. So, they simply closed their eyes and ignored the 48 abstentions.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, speaking at the press conference this afternoon, made it clear that Hungary will not accept the outcome of the vote because it was pushed through by a fraudulent counting of the votes.
“Today’s EP decision is the petty revenge of pro-migration politicians. They have adopted the document through voting fraud because they didn’t take abstentions into account,” Minister Szijjártó said, adding that the report punishes Hungary and the Hungarian people because “we have proved that there is no need for migration and migration can be stopped.”
The Foreign Minister confirmed that the government is currently examining avenues for legal redress.
“The decision is yet more proof that there is a pro-migration majority within the EP. We already knew this, but today we acquired more proof that they are in majority in the EPP as well,” Szijjártó said.
The irony runs thick. Pro-migration MEPs bashing Hungary for allegedly violating the rule of law resort to violating the rule of law to their pass resolution.