European Parliament adopts resolution calling for Hungary to be checked for breaches of EU values

The resolution calls on the European Council and member states to determine whether Hungary has committed "serious and persistent breaches of EU values", said Finnish MEP Petri Sarvamaa, who initiated the consideration of the issue.

The resolution was adopted by 345 votes in favour, with 104 MPs voting against and 29 abstaining.

Previously, Sarvamaa explained that the EU's decision-making mechanism was "stuck" because of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and the only way to restore it was to deprive the Hungarian prime minister of his voting rights in the Council.

Procedures under Article 7(2) of the Treaty on European Union have never been initiated against Hungary, Sarvamaa writes. According to this Article, a state that has consistently breached the values of the European Union may temporarily lose some rights, including the right to vote in the EU Council.

"The progress in this matter since my petition on January 8, 2024, to strip Viktor Orbán's voting rights has been remarkable. In less than a week, I collected 125 signatures of support for my initiative. In ten days, we had formed a European Parliament position on the matter," MP Petri Sarvamaa commented on the decision.