Steven N.
The situation surrounding the rule of law in Hungary will be on the agenda at the next EU Council of Ministers meeting in mid-December, Népszava has learned.
At this meeting, the heads of the ministries will only exchange views under the Article 7 procedure and will not hold a hearing, which would allow for a more thorough and lengthy exploration of the topics on the agenda. Article 7 is a procedure in the treaties of the European Union to suspend certain rights from a member state, which has been invoked in recent years against Member States Hungary and Poland.
The last time the EU27 held a hearing was in June this year, just after the Hungarian Parliament passed a “child protection” law that was described by many as homophobic. For this reason, recent legislative changes have been at the center of the debate.
An Article 7 procedure was initiated against Hungary in September 2018 at the initiative of the European Parliament. The aim of the process is to determine whether the fundamental values of the European Union are being seriously violated in Hungary.
Over the last three years, Member States have not been able to provide a definitive answer to this question. The next step could be to make recommendations to the Hungarian government, which the European Parliament has urged in a resolution. Many expect the French presidency of the EU, which will take office in January, to move the process into its next phase, writes Népszava.
[Népszava]
