The European Parliament voted more than two-thirds to initiate procedures to penalize Hungary for gaps in the rule of law and begin the procedures for action under Article 7 of the EU Treaty, which provides for the suspension of the country’s right to vote, the BBC announced.
The main accusations against the Hungarian government are that it has removed independent judges from office, silenced the free press, and targeted civil society.
The result of the vote (448 for, 197 against, 48 abstentions) shows that Viktor Orbán lost the support of part of his European family, the Popular Party.
The procedure launched today for sanctioning Hungary is a complex one, but it has a precedent: this year, the European Union has launched the same procedure in the case of Poland, and it has been accused of violating European values and principles.
A mechanism that will last for months and involves all the EU institutions: the Parliament, the Council, the Commission, comes into operation. There will be an exchange of views with Hungary: the European Commission will ask for a review of policies contrary to European values, Hungary will answer, and according to this answer the final proposal will be put to the vote.
Parliament approved a critical report on Hungary, a report by Judith Sargentini.
Source: G4media
Leave a Comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *