On Tuesday, 9 April, the Ministers for European Affairs held another exchange of views on the situation of rule of law in Hungary on the basis of the Article 7 procedure initiated by the European Parliament in September.
The last exchange of views took place in January. On Tuesday, nine countries intervened in order to request that a more formal hearing of the Hungarian government be organised, as was done in the past with the Polish government. France and Germany also made this request, judging that this hearing should be held in June after the elections.
In a joint statement, the two countries reiterated the “general picture painted by the European Parliament’s report on respect for fundamental values in Hungary, which is of particular concern”.
The “fact that NGOs and universities feel forced to leave the country as a result of restrictive measures implemented by the government should concern all of us”. Central European University’s situation also raises “specific concerns”, with Paris and Berlin considering “that this subject raises legitimate questions with regard to respect for academic freedom and the right to education” and that Hungary should “explain, at a forthcoming hearing, what concrete measures” are going to be taken to ensure the continuation of Central European University’s activities in Budapest. The “first session of Hungary’s hearing” could thus take place in the General Affairs Council in June after the European elections.
A new hearing for Poland?
Paris and Berlin also requested that a new hearing be organised in June for Poland (which has already had three hearings), since the concerns that led to Article 7 being triggered at the end of 2017 have not been “fully and correctly resolved” in their opinion. Romania will decide the way forward but did not indicated its preference on Tuesday. One source says that, generally speaking, the balance of power has not changed on these issues. Overall—among France, Germany, the Netherlands, and even Belgium—the same countries have also intervened in both cases. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)