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M. Continuo

Hungary rejects 'sneaking' changes to EU treaty - PM Orban


    BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Tuesday that Budapest rejected any "sneaking" changes to the EU's treaty, referring to the selection process for picking the EU Commission's new president.

    Orban has already said that he would not support the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker for the bloc's most powerful job, joining British Prime Minister David Cameron who says EU leaders should stand up for the principle that national governments are the prime source of democratic legitimacy in Europe.

    "The basic stance for Hungary is that treaties must be observed," Orban told a news conference with EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and others.

    "This has a significance because today in Europe, especially as a result of the 'Spitzenkandidaten' debate, the suspicion arises that ... practices are applied with which they are actually modifying the treaty. We call this a sneaking treaty (change) and we reject this," Orban said, referring to the dispute over the next EU Commission head.

    (Reporting by Krisztina Than and Gergely Szakacs; Editing by Hugh Lawson)