Fidesz MEP Tamás Deutsch said that giving European Union institutions a right to interfere with, censor or ban election campaigns of member states is “unacceptable”.
The EP was to vote on a proposal on the transparency of political activities on Thursday. The proposal aims to facilitate obtaining information on campaign sponsors and the payments made, among others. The proposal would also review regulations on the periods immediately before elections and referendums. On the sidelines of the plenary session of the European Parliament, Deutsch said that while “almost all EU institutions are mired in corruption … bureaucrats are trying to force legislation that would make it impossible to talk about corruption in Brussels at all.” The proposal would enable EU institutions to censor the topics of all election campaigns in all member states, he warned. Defining the participants, topics and tone of election campaigns is in the hands of member states, and EU interference was “unacceptable”, he said. The Fidesz delegation will vote against the proposal, as it “curbs freedom rights and democracy”, he said.