European Parliament calls for end to Hungary's constant abuse of its veto right

A group of members of the European Parliament called upon the European Commission to react to the behaviour of Hungary, which constantly acts against the common line of the EU, explaining that such behaviour violates one of the basic values of the union.

Source: European Pravda, referring to the letter addressed to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and relevant European commissars published by some of its signatories, specifically Andrius Kubilius, a Lithuanian MP of the European Parliament

They presented a wide range of examples when Hungary, one way or another, hindered certain steps of the EU aimed at supporting Ukraine, consolidating the geopolitical security of Europe, implementing sanctions against Russia, weakening its ability to continue the armed aggression, and supporting democracy in neighbouring EU member states.

For instance, Budapest would make demands concerning the sanctions packages against Russia, threatening with its veto right; block the assembly of the Ukraine-NATO assembly on the highest level until its veto was bypassed procedurally; not yet ratify Sweden's accession to NATO and delay Finland's accession for a long time.

"Such actions of the Hungarian authorities have all signs of the violation of the fundamental value of the EU – the value of solidarity… Abusing the veto right is incompatible with the fundamental value of solidarity.

The EU institutions must protect it from the abuse of rights by one of the member states, adhering to Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union, similarly to the other fundamental value, the rule of law. The veto right in the EU treaties was not created for one country to deliberately and regularly violate the fundamental value of the European Union," the signatories explain.

The MEPs added that Article 7 provides for the possibility to start the evaluation of whether there is a risk that a country is violating the fundamental values of the EU if one third of the member states, the European Parliament or the European Commission initiate it.

On these grounds, they ask the leadership of the European Commission to express its position:

-         whether it agrees that Hungary’s abuse of its veto right may result in a serious violation of solidarity as one of the fundamental values of the EU;

-         whether the European Commission is ready to initiate the procedure of Article 7 towards Hungary, and if not, whether it would support such an initiative from the European Parliament.

The letter was signed by 18 MEPs in total: from Lithuania, Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland and two from Hungary itself.

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