EU delegation sends letter urging swift Commission action against Hungary
The European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) has sent a five-member fact-finding mission to Hungary "to assess latest developments regarding democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights."
The mission has been given a mandate to concentrate on developments in Hungary regarding democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights since the last LIBE delegation visited Budapest in October 2021. Its conclusions will inform Parliament’s ongoing efforts with regard to the Article 7(1) procedure it launched in 2018.
Although the findings of such missions could even lead to the suspension of the country's voting rights, the decision to do so has been a long time coming.
The outcome of the visit may now carry more weight, as Chapter 5 of the coalition document of the soon-to-be-formed German government describes the need to apply the rules protecting the rule of law much more consistently,
with particular emphasis on the possibility of suspending member states' voting rights in the European Council.
Similarly, the suspension of EU funds, which has been a headache for the Hungarian government in recent years, would be tightened, with the proviso that new ways should be found to get them directly to the beneficiaries, including direct funding for students who miss out on Erasmus.
Although similar statements were made in the previous German coalition agreement, the pressure on the continent and the expectation that Friedrich Merz, who is seeking a more prominent geopolitical role, will lead Germany with a firmer hand than Olaf Scholz, who is still Chancellor.
The EP delegation, made up of Dutch, Belgian and Polish MEPs, spent three days in Budapest. At their press conference on Wednesday, the head of the delegation, Tineke Strik (Greens, Netherlands), began by saying that since the EP had received a new mandate in June, it was timely to review the rule of law situation in Hungary.
The delegation sought to consult with various organisations and the government, and concluded that the rule of law had deteriorated further since their last visit.
They criticised the changes to the law on the right of assembly and deplored the fact that the government treats the European Union as an external interloper in many respects.
The head of the delegation, Tineke Strik, said the delegation would send a letter to the Commission asking it to take action as soon as possible, including interim decisions, but made it clear that the delegation was only here to investigate. As a result, they can only give advice, for example on relaxing or tightening deadlines and sanctions, but the decision will not be their responsibility.
Cover photo: EU
