Politics
2019.09.20 02:03 GMT+8

Hungarian government criticised for boycotting climate change debate

Updated 2019.09.20 02:03 GMT+8
Holly Hudson

The Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest (Credit: VCG)

Opposition parties were forced to adjourn a special parliamentary session on the country's climate commitments as no representatives from the ruling alliance attended.

Politicians from Hungary's opposition parties have accused the Fidesz-KDNP government of "plain ignorance" over climate change after none of their MPs showed up to a special parliamentary session on Wednesday.

Deputy head of the green LMP group, Erzsebet Schmuck, who initiated the session, said the "opposition had hoped the government would attend to debate the threat climate change poses… and expected Viktor Orban [Hungary's prime minister] to present emission reduction targets and announce the preparation of a law on climate protection."

In a press conference on Wednesday, the opposition parties called for the government to do more and participate in joint efforts to tackle climate change in order to "protect the future of our children."

The Fidesz-KDNP alliance claimed the opposition was acting like "clowns who can't be taken seriously."

In a statement it said: "The opposition have brought this session purely for campaign reasons [for the upcoming municipal elections] and Fidesz-KDNP parliamentary group doesn't agree with that."

Orban has faced criticism for his views on climate change, having previously described it as Left-wing trickery.

In June, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic angered environmental groups after they blocked an EU climate change target of reaching net zero by 2050 by refusing to support it.

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