European officials are reportedly considering utilizing Article 7 of the 2007 Treaty on the European Union to strip Hungary of its voting rights amid disagreements over a proposed assistance package for Ukraine, according to sources cited by the Financial Times.
The provision in question allows for the suspension of voting rights for a member state in response to violations of European law.
While any EU member can obstruct this process, recent political changes in Poland, where a liberal opposition has assumed power, have left Hungary without a guaranteed advocate within the EU, as noted by the FT.
Concerns have arisen among several EU nations regarding the potential deployment of "the EU's most powerful weapon against a member state."
European officials are reportedly aiming to sway Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has refused to support aid to Ukraine, by highlighting the potential consequences of isolation within the EU.
Should diplomatic efforts fail, EU countries may proceed to forge an agreement on assistance to Ukraine without Hungary's involvement. However, such a resolution is anticipated to be temporary and may encounter delays, as reported by the FT.
A senior European official remarked: "Hungary may create more problems. Perhaps Hungary will force us to use other tools. But in the end, Hungary will not be able to prevent us from allocating money to Ukraine."
On Dec. 15, Orban vetoed the EU's decision to allocate €50 billion s in economic assistance to Ukraine.
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Charles Michel, head of the European Council, noted that Hungary stood alone in opposing aid to Ukraine during the summit.
Simultaneously, the European Council moved forward with negotiations to integrate Ukraine into the EU – a stance consistently opposed by Orban.
It later emerged that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz persuaded Orban to leave the meeting during the vote, allowing EU leaders to unanimously decide on initiating negotiations.
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Comments (5)
Democracy, European style! If you don't vote per our wish then we strip you of that right.
@Observer, you are stupid if 1 wins over 26, so yea Hungary can get voted off the island so to speak. Not very Observant of you.
The veto power is not intended to allow a single member to hold the other states to ransom for money - which is exactly how Hungary is abusing its position.
The EU has been accused in the past of being too slow to act and make any decision due to everything requiring unanimity between 27 members, they are clearly trying to address this problem.
It's time for Ursula von der Leyen to show her fangs and put Orban in his place - or step aside for a strong leader who will.
The EU should do more than just consider stripping Hungary of it's voting rights. The EU should find a way to remove Hungary from the EU and there should be talk and consideration in removing Hungary from NATO as well. There is no reason to have Hungary in either NATO or the EU as Orban is simply a water boy for Putin. Hungary is no longer a real democracy and Orban seems to think he can continue to work against the goals of the EU and NATO. It is time to remove Hungary from any organization of democratic nations as views expressed by Orban are directly in opposition of the rest of the free world.
@Lobo, Well said, albeit I think a temporary removal of benefits for Hungary is better. At the earliest that would be after putin's good buddy Orban is removed.
As a dual Canadian / Italian I have monitored the EU's admirable growth and strategic investments improving their residents lives. It has also been a powerhouse in improving business opportunities / fair trade agreements for its members. Its successful model is quite threatening to oppressive bully regimes. I'm quite looking forward to the EU continued expansion as new members request inclusion.
However as with many younger entities the EU's path to maturity continues. We often see new parents tolerate a bad child's behavior thinking that child's immediate happiness is paramount. However as parents mature they realize bad behavior must be decisively thwarted not just for the greater good, but also for their child's future benefit. A socially balanced child considers fairness and the needs of others. That empathy helps them fit into society better and develop healthier relationships of mutual benefit.
As a putins' crony, orban's intent remains to destabilize EU society. He now participates in MAGA cult events aimed at destabilizing the USA. Time to restrict Hungary's EU benefits / voting rights until its electorate makes better leadership choices.
Viktor Orban is a NAZI and supports Fuhrer Putin .Hungary should have been kicked out of the EU long time ago .
A very good step to kicking those clowns out of the EU. They are a trojan horse and a puppet on Putin's strings.