MEP András László slams media sanctions debate as “wrong”

Hungarian MEP András László has criticised what he describes as a practice within the European Parliament of dismissing opinions and facts it disagrees with. Speaking to Imedi TV, László commented on a report by the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee and rejected discussions about sanctioning media outlets.

“In my view, the evaluation of any media outlet, report, or political debate should be based on facts, arguments, and merit - not on nationality, a specific media organisation, political group, or affiliation. We must be able to present our ideas, facts, and information to decision-makers, including members of the European Parliament, in order to determine what policies are right for Europe, for my country, and beyond. Blocking opinions and voices solely based on their origin is wrong”, László said.

The European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee has approved the draft report and amendments prepared by Lithuanian MEP Rasa Juknevičienė. The document is expected to be included in the agenda of the Parliament’s plenary session scheduled for May 18–21.

Juknevičienė argues that Georgia does not meet the criteria required for EU candidate status and has called for the imposition of personal sanctions. Amendments to the report also include a proposal to sanction three independent television companies.