Hungary can no longer be considered a democracy, and European values are under systemic threat in the country, the European Parliament declared in a report adopted on Thursday.
At this point, the report concluded, Hungary has become an “electoral autocracy.”
The motion — which passed with 433 votes in favor, 123 against and 28 abstentions — represents yet another symbolic reprimand from the EU institutions toward Hungary, which has faced years of opprobrium over rule-of-law concerns. But Parliament’s move is unlikely to lead to any specific punishment.
In their report, Parliament members listed a range of concerns — from the functioning of the country’s electoral system to its judicial independence. They also express fears about academic and religious freedom, as well as the rights of vulnerable populations.
Parliament is not the only EU institution at odds with Budapest.
The European Commission has been engaged in a long battle with the country over the rule of law, pressing Hungary over the alleged misuse of public funds to enrich figures close to the ruling Fidesz party. On Sunday, the Commission is expected to recommend a significant cut to Hungary’s EU funds — while also giving the country several months to find a compromise.
Thursday’s report prods the Council to take action against Hungary. The text includes the draft of a potential Council proposal stating that “there is a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded.”
Responding to the vote, Hungary’s chief spokesman Zoltán Kovács said the European Parliament “would do better to focus on energy prices that have tripled and quadrupled due to the failed sanctions,” reprising his government’s critique of the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia.
source politico.eu
