European Council Summit – Quote from Philippe Lamberts MEP

Ahead of today's European Council Summit of heads of state and government, Greens/EFA Group President Philippe Lamberts MEP, comments:

"The EU is based on fundamental rights, dignity, equality, the rule of law, human rights and respect for minorities. But these principles are being trampled on inside the European Union today.

"They are trampled upon when, at the Union's borders, people who knock on our door are violently turned away or locked up in undignified conditions. They are trampled on when, within the European Union, the principles of the separation of powers, the independence of the judiciary and media freedom are continuously undermined.

"The latest insult to our rights and values are the attacks on LGBTIQ rights in Hungary. The rule of law must be non-negotiable, the Council cannot continue to ignore what is happening in Hungary. As well as being an economic union we are a union of values, before we held these shared values we had generations of war.

"The Commission as guardian of the treaties has up until now not dared to go from words to actions. So far, the Council has decided to shield its members from any action, instead of respecting the values on which this Union is based. The upcoming Council summit should have one thing on the agenda and one thing only: Respect for European values."