Daniel Stewart - Yesterday
The plenary of the European Parliament has denounced Thursday that Hungary has become a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy", in which elections are held but democratic standards are not respected, while accusing Member States of inaction for not moving forward in the Council with the procedure to sanction partners who put the rule of law at serious risk.
The report adopted with 433 votes in favor, 123 against and 28 abstentions recalls that four years ago the European Parliament itself initiated the procedure that activates Article 7 of the EU Treaty and warns that during this period the situation of fundamental rights in Hungary has deteriorated by the "deliberate and systemic efforts of the government" of Viktor Orbán.
Among the main areas of concern to MEPs are the functioning of the constitutional and electoral systems, the independence of the judiciary, corruption and conflicts of interest, and freedom of expression, including media pluralism.
They also warn of threats to academic freedom, freedom of religion and association, the right to equal treatment, including the rights of LGBTIQ people, minority rights and the situation of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees.
Thus, the plenary meeting in Strasbourg (France) regretted the lack of action on the part of the Twenty-seven to which it stressed that they can move forward in the Article 7 procedure without the need for unanimity, since this level of consensus is only necessary to decide on possible sanctions at the end of the analysis of the rule of law by this mechanism.
They also demand that Budapest's anti-democratic drift should have consequences on its access to European funds, for example by excluding from financing cohesion programs that contribute to the misuse of EU funds or to violations of the rule of law.
In the view of MEPs, Hungary's recovery plan should also not be approved until the country fully complies with all the recommendations of the European Semester and implements all relevant rulings of the EU Court of Justice and the Court of Human Rights.
Hungary's response came from the Government spokesman, Zoltan Kovacs, who urged the European Parliament to "focus" on the rising energy prices resulting from the "failed sanctions" against Russia.
"Because of sanctions, Europeans are poorer and Russia is making huge profits," Kovacs said on Twitter. "When Brussels passed the sanctions, this was not what it promised the European population," he has apostrophized.
FREEZING COHESION FUNDS Precisely this Sunday, the European Commission plans to adopt a proposal to freeze "billions of euros" in cohesion funds to Hungary because of the risk that the Orbán government will use them in programs that jeopardize the rule of law in the country, EU sources have indicated.
The draft proposal to which Europa Press had access and which was drafted last July by the Commissioner for Budgets, Johannes Hahn, estimated that given the seriousness of the threat should be blocked around 70% of three EU programs, including one energy.
Although the document of the Community Executive did not put a figure on the value of the funds that could be suspended, the Hungarian press has estimated their value at around 8.8 billion euros.
However, the Community sources warn that the percentage that Brussels finally proposes to freeze will be lower than the one included in the draft in view of the reforms that Budapest has promised in the last contacts with the Community services, including measures to reinforce the fight against corruption.
In any case, the last word will be of the Twenty-seven that once received the proposal that the College of Commissioners will have one month to take a decision, although it can extend the term up to three months, so the measure will not be immediate.
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