Hungarian parliament demands court review of EU mandatory migrant quotas

Hungary's parliament voted 154 to 41 (with one abstention) on Tuesday, passing a law mandating the government to take to court the European Union's decision to impose mandatory migrant redistribution quotas on member states.

Under the parliamentary decision, the government must submit an initiative to the European Court of Justice requesting nullification of the EU acquis redistributing refugees among member states on a mandatory basis.

The vote took place along party lines with the governing Fidesz-KDNP alliance and the far-right Jobbik in favor and the left-wing MSZP and LMP, DK, Egyutt, PM and Liberals opposed. One independent MP abstained.

The government called the quota idea "irrational and dangerous, prone to increasing crime, distributing terror and putting our culture at risk."

The new Hungarian law charges the European Union Council with failure to adhere to the principle of subsidiary (when decisions are made bottom up instead of top down) and argues it did not give national parliaments a chance to voice their opinions.

It also criticizes Brussels for a failed "immigration policy" and supports the protection of borders and fence-building.

The European Council decision on redistributing migrants, taken on Sept. 22, calls for transferring 120,000 refugees from Italy and Greece to the other member countries. Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania voted against it. Endit