Having previously agreed on the text of the resolution, the European Parliament will try to deprive Hungary of its voting rights on January 18.
The resolution also proposes an investigation into the European Commission’s unfreezing of 10 billion euros for Budapest last month. notes Euroactiv. The majority of deputies – socialists, greens, the center-right European People’s Party, liberal Renew and the left – agree with the document as a whole.
Its key points: a call to the Council EU begin the process of depriving Hungary of its voting rights, in accordance with Article 7.2 of the EU Treaty, and launch a parliamentary investigation into the legality of the European Commission’s decision to unfreeze 10 billion euros of funds for Hungary in December 2023. Deputies are even ready to file a lawsuit on this matter with the EU Court of Justice.
Greens MEP Daniel Freund, one of the leading negotiators on the resolution, says: “We are also sending a strong message to the Commission: if they simply distribute billions of euros to avoid a Hungarian veto, they will not get away with it.”
Most MPs said the EC’s decision to allocate funds was not based on objective improvements in Hungary’s judicial system and the rule of law, as EU executives claim. This was a concession to Budapest from Brussels before the EU summit, at which a historic decision was made to begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova.
According to Euractiv, the draft resolution could also include a provision calling for a vote of no confidence in European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen if the EU executive unfreezes further funds for Hungary.
Last week, as our publication reported, Member of the European Parliament from Finland Petri Sarvamaa proposed applying a procedure against Hungary in accordance with Part 2 of Article 7 of the EU Treaty. It provides possibility of suspension of certain rights, including a voice in the EU Council, regarding a state that has repeatedly violated the values of the European Union. However, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico promised to veto any decisions aimed at limiting Hungary’s rights in the European Union.
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban again promised to block EU aid to Ukraine. According to The Guardian, Orban said this after his meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. According to him, Hungary will oppose assistance to Kyiv if it is allocated from the general EU budget. He said: “Aid to Ukraine must be provided in such a way as not to harm the EU budget. Allocating 50 billion euros from the EU budget for four years in advance is a violation of the sovereignty and national interests of the EU. We don’t even know what will happen in a quarter of a year.”
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