On Wednesday 24 April, MEPs adopted a new resolution on the state of European values in Hungary by 399 votes to 117, with 28 abstentions.
The text denounces “serious shortcomings in the judicial system, the fight against corruption and conflicts of interest, freedom of the press, fundamental rights, the constitutional and electoral system, the functioning of civil society, the protection of the EU’s financial interests and respect for the principles of the single market”, says a press release.
In particular, Parliament condemned the adoption of the Protection of National Sovereignty Act and the creation of the Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO).
It has “extensive powers and a strict system of surveillance and sanctions, which fundamentally violates democratic rules [...] and breaches numerous European laws”.
MEPs are calling on the Commission to ask the Court of Justice of the European Union for interim measures to suspend the act immediately, as it undermines the principle of free and fair elections.
They also once again deplore the Commission’s decision to release nearly €10.2 billion in frozen European funds, which prompted Parliament to refer the matter to the Court of Justice.
The MEPs point out that “it is incomprehensible that funds should be released on the grounds of improvements in the judiciary’s independence while funds under various EU laws remain blocked due to persistent deficiencies in the same area”.
They also reaffirm the need to determine whether Hungary has committed ‘serious and persistent breaches of EU values’ in the context of the Article 7(2) procedure, and fear that the Hungarian government “won’t be in a position to credibly fulfil its duties as presidency of the EU Council in the second half of 2024”.
Link to the resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/bz3 (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)