“Political leaders in Hungary and Poland—U.S. allies and members of the European Union—have for the past decade pursued policies that undermine democracy and the rule of law,” the Commission said in a statement about the hearing, which is scheduled for November 3.
The statement added that the Hungarian government "has weakened the country’s democratic institutions, especially the free media and independent judiciary," and, instead of strengthening transatlantic ties, "has sought closer ties" with Russia and China.
“In Poland, the ruling coalition has taken steps to compromise judicial independence and limit free expression,” the statement reads.
The hearing is intended to “examine the erosion of democratic norms” in Poland and Hungary and discuss the implications for US foreign policy, the PAP news agency reported.
It cited a source in the US Congress as saying that the hearing had been planned for a long time by the head of the commission, Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, but the latest deepening of the clash over the rule of law within the EU has sparked additional interest.
PAP did not name its source, whom it quoted as saying that Warsaw was seen as an "important ally" and that many of the commission's members were "concerned about the erosion of democratic norms" in both Poland and Hungary.
The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) is a congressional body composed of politicians from both houses of the US legislature. It deals with issues such as human rights, democracy and other topics related to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Polish news agency reported.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP
