Hungarian PM Orban clashes with EU parliament over democratic values

BRUSSELS – Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has clashed with large parts of the European Union's parliament over criticism he oversteps the boundaries of democracy.

On the eve of a vote on a critical report on the way his parliamentary majority runs Hungary, Orban came over especially to the EU legislature on Tuesday to defend his policies.

He insisted that he and his Fidesz party "don't want a Europe where the unity expressed by the two-thirds majority is condemned instead of respected."

The EU parliamentary report up for vote on Wednesday backed many of the complaints heard since Orban swept to power in 2010, specifically on the respect for minorities and for democratic principles in the judiciary and freedom of expression.