I'm not sure it's entirely good news that Salis's immunity was upheld by just one vote; obviously I'm glad that's how it turned out, but I find it serious that the EPP publicly took a position in favour of revoking it and now denies that there are any rebels (there are) among its ranks. Because, even if belatedly, the #EPP has taken a stand against Orban and the dismantling of the rule of law and the independent judiciary, and is aware of the impossibility of a fair trial in Hungary. This vote does not enshrine a privilege. It enshrines the defence of parliamentary prerogatives and the rule of law.

A small personal note: for years, I was a member of the parliamentary committee dealing with immunities in the European Parliament, and there were some firmly held points shared across the board that “saved” even Jean-Marie #LePen from absurd trials based on the denial of freedom of expression. Today, these elements of common understanding, not only of the parliamentary function but also of the rule of law, seem to have been greatly weakened by the current polarisation and confusion surrounding the fundamental values on which our democracies are based. Of course, if in years gone by, @ManfredWeber's EPP and the European Commission had acted using the tools available to them on the repeated violations of the autonomy of the judiciary since they began in 2011, we would not be at this point today.

I recall that the first resolution of the EuropeanParliament denouncing in detail the systematic destruction of the rule of law and freedom of expression and the press in Hungary was in 2012, led by Portuguese Green rapporteur Rui Tavares. There was no reaction for years.

EU money has strengthened Orban's corrupt regime. Tolerance towards Orban and his illiberal democracy is at the root of the EU's loss of credibility as a bastion of democracy and a lot of trouble on concrete policies, starting with Ukraine.