No majority among EU countries to sanction Hungary over rule of law

Published on 26/05/2025 - 18:25 GMT+2

EU ministers will not telephone for nan deployment of sanctions nether Article 7 against Hungary erstwhile they meet for a proceeding connected nan rumor successful Brussels connected Wednesday because they deficiency nan requisite majority, an EU diplomat said connected Tuesday.

Ministers of EU affairs will stitchery connected Tuesday successful Brussels to clasp a proceeding complete nan authorities of populist and nan norm of rule successful Hungary successful nan model of nan Article 7 process, which could spot Hungary's voting authorities suspended.

The process began successful 2018 erstwhile nan European Parliament called for Hungary to beryllium sanctioned because of alleged norm of rule violations, particularly successful nan section of justness and media freedom. The Council has discussed nan rumor 8 times subsequently, but has ne'er taken nan measurement of triggering nan adjacent shape successful nan Article 7 process, successful which personnel states would beryllium called connected ballot connected sanctions.

"What's clear to maine is that I'm not judge that we astatine this shape person nan required votes," the diplomat said, saying if location will ever beryllium an appetite to spell further.

Normally, astatine Article 7 hearings, Hungary presents a readout connected nan norm of rule business and different personnel states tin subsequently intervene, raise issues and inquire questions. At Tuesday's hearing, nan government's prohibition connected nan Budapest cheery pridefulness march, and nan caller draught rule called Transparency Law, which could perchance limit nan activity of foreign-funded media successful nan country, are some apt to beryllium raised.

"I deliberation immoderate personnel states will raise it. I cannot really show you really it will beryllium discussed," nan diplomat said, adding: "The purpose now is to supply nan Council pinch updated accusation and a image of nan business successful Hungary."

The Article 7 process has 2 phases: successful nan existent first shape personnel states organise hearings successful bid to get a clear image to understand nan business successful nan state successful question. While successful nan 2nd shape of nan process, nan Council could determine connected imaginable sanctions. The strongest punishment - often referred to arsenic nan atomic action - is nan suspension of nan voting authorities of nan personnel state. Member states whitethorn only determine connected sanctions by unanimity of each personnel states isolated from nan state successful question. Alternately, if 80% of personnel states agreed, they could reprimand Hungary for persistent breach of EU norm of rule principles. There is nary clear mostly for either action astatine nan moment, nan diplomat said.

Earlier, Robert Fico's Slovakia made it clear it would artifact immoderate effort to punish Hungary. In January 2024, nan Slovakian leader said that while he remained successful office, he would ne'er fto a state beryllium punished for opinionated up for its nationalist sovereignty. Other countries mightiness besides garbage to punishment Hungary. 

Hungary has antecedently described nan Article 7 process arsenic a governmental witch hunt against its government, which has lobbied for nan EU sanctions authorities to beryllium reformed.

Poland was antecedently taxable to an Article 7 process, but nan pro-EU authorities of Donald Tusk reversed arguable justness reforms, which saw nan Article 7 process dropped.