Left-wing MEPs have called on Brussels to revoke Hungary’s veto power as its Prime Minister Viktor Orbán refused to join the bloc line on the Ukraine war during the ongoing special European Council Summit.
Leading the charge was German Green MEP Daniel Freund, a longtime Orbán critic, who has demanded the European Union invoke Article 7 to punish Hungary for its refusal to back a joint declaration on Ukraine.
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Article 7 allows Brussels to suspend a member state’s EU voting rights if it is deemed to be violating the bloc’s values.
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Another left-wing MEP, Daniel Boeselager, founder of the pan-European and EU-Federalist movement Volt, urged EU leaders to take action against Hungary.
“There is a democratic tool to remove Orban‘s voting rights. We need enhanced cooperation on defence,” he said on March 2.
“Wake up, European leaders. Time is running through your hands. Unite,” he added.
These comments followed Orban’s letter to European Council President Antonio Costa in which he told Costa that Hungary had strategic differences with the bloc over Ukraine.
“It has become evident that Hungary has strategic differences in our approaches to Ukraine that cannot be bridged by drafting or communication,” the Hungarian PM wrote on March 1.
He asked the EU to align itself with the US stance on conflict resolution.
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Slovakia has joined Hungary in refusing to sign the EU’s joint declaration on Ukraine, with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico challenging Brussels’ approach to the conflict.
Already the EU is taking steps to get around Budapest as it looks to maintain support for Ukraine against Russia’s aggression and ramp up the European defense industry, according to officials. Finnish Foreign minister Elina Valtonen said there are plans to forge a partnership among countries that can sidestep any internal opposition […]
Finding a way to deal with Orban “is becoming existential for the EU,” said Katarzyna Pisarska, chair of the Warsaw Security Conference. “What I’m expecting in the next weeks is an effort to circumvent Hungary via more enhanced cooperation and coalition-of-the-willing type schemes.” […]
What has stopped them invoking Article 7 until now?
It requires unanimity of the other members, Hungary was protected by PiS in Poland (who are also corrupt authoritarians) until they were voted out, there was then a short window of a couple of months where the EU squibbed their chance, then Slovakia replaced their chad Prez with Fico who is also a corrupt authoritarian and the opportunity was lost.
What they can do is get all the preparatory stuff done and wait to see if Slovakia replace Fico, or (very unlikely but not impossible) the challenger to Orban manages to win. If neither happens then giving Fico a bigger bribe than Putin does is the last resort.
Fico from Slovakia. Before that the Pis from Poland. Article 7 is invoked by the council, not the parliament. Nothing will happen again…
They should be slow to do this type of thing. If this becomes easy or common then the EU will break up.
Well good riddance to the backsliding countries who won’t adhere to EU values. Close the door when you leave so the rest of us can continue uninterrupted.
Backsliding democracies in the EU wants nothing more than slow action on these types of things
Oh for Christ’s sake. Are you a Russian Bot?
Hungary is playing Russians Puppet for many years now. Why do you come now with this slippery slope Bullshit?
It’s already a two step process with the first step requiring some kind of evidence that the country in question is breaching the founding values of the EU. If they are then the first step is about giving them a warning. If they can’t show they’re still in line with the founding values then you get to step 2 where the EU effectively unilaterally agree to revoke the rights.
I’ve already glossed over some nuances but I think it should already be evident that process is far from easy and it’s definitely not fast. I also don’t remember if the EU has ever even gotten to the first step. I think the closest they’ve gotten with Hungary is considering the possibility of proposing a breach of values, which is just a bunch of nothing.
Evidence is already clear and has been “approved” (for lack of a better word). Orban has already had funding frozen and fines imposed for various breaches
I agree, but it seems there’s no group of politicians willing to invoke article 7 when it comes to Hungary.
It sends a bad message to local European politicians and by extension their voters, so if possible, EU bureaucracy avoids (inner) conflict.
Plot twist orban vetos this
The country subjected to Article 7 can’t veto it. Luckily.
I’d be surprised if Fico wouldn’t have Orbáns back in this case, though.
He’s already made it clear that he is aligned with Putain and Orban, so yeah, it’s the current barrier
Not so sure, they have fallen in line more with the EU after the US went insane
Even then, I imagine Fico to be concerned he could be next if he helped get rid of Orbáns veto.
Kind of different situation though. Slovakia hasn’t been subject to the democratic backsliding as Hungary as far as I know and doesn’t violate EU values or norms. So far the prime minister is just a tool
