The Member States' ambassadors to the European Union (Coreper) decided on Wednesday 20 November that a second hearing of Hungary on the rule of law would take place on 10 December at the General Affairs Council (GAC). According to a Council source, only Poland and Hungary opposed the holding of this hearing.
The details, format, duration and themes of this exercise have not yet been specified, but according to another source, the discussion should focus on a more specific theme. On 16 September, the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the European Union had already organised Hungary's first hearing, one year after the European Parliament launched Article 7 (see EUROPE 12328/1). The first hearing focused on the very broad issues raised by the European Parliament in its report. The second exercise should therefore be more tightly focussed. The National Ambassadors are expected to discuss this again and define the format of this hearing next week.
The European Parliament will not be invited to take part in this discussion in the Council, but the Finnish Presidency will hold an informal meeting with it outside this Council exercise.
On Hungary and the Fidesz Party of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the report of the Committee of Wise Men set up by the European People's Party (EPP) in March, after the suspension of the Hungarian party, will not be published until "early next year", said Joseph Daul, outgoing EPP President, in Zagreb on 20 November. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)