Ahead of tomorrow's European Parliament vote on fundamental rights in Hungary, GUE/NGL MEP Marie-Christine Vergiat has said that the "stakes are high" for this report as it represents an opportunity for the EU to enter a period of universal respect for fundamental rights in all member states.

Following Viktor Orbán's address to the house, Vergiat said: "This report is not about stigmatising Hungary or voting 'against Hungary'. Those who vote for this report are not 'enemies of the Hungarian people'. On the contrary: those who vote for this report want human rights to be taken seriously in all member states and denounce the manipulation of human rights questions by politicians as part of vote-catching strategies."

Replying to Orbán's claim that human rights violations are only being denounced in Hungary, Marie-Christine Vergiat said: "Yes, Mr. Orban, you're right, for every human rights violation in Hungary it is nearly always possible to find a similar case in another member state. And things are going in the wrong direction, as certain judgements from the ECHR show. What sets Hungary apart is that there is a significant accumulation of these human rights violations."