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Péter Magyar said Thursday that he and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola discussed the EU dropping its rule-of-law disciplinary procedure against Hungary.
“We agreed that the Article 7 procedure launched against Hungary eight years ago — in response to concerns over the rule of law and democracy under the previous government — should be concluded by autumn,” the Hungarian prime minister wrote on X after a meeting with Metsola in Strasbourg. Magyar, a former MEP, said he planned to address the Parliament after the summer.
In 2018, the Parliament triggered Article 7 of the EU treaties on Hungary, which allows for the suspension of a member state’s voting rights if it breaches the bloc’s values. Often referred to as the EU’s “nuclear option”, Article 7 can be dropped if a majority of lawmakers back such a move, but there have been no discussions on doing so.
Metsola’s office gave a more cautious readout on the meeting, saying she told Magyar “that should Parliament continue to see positive progress and concrete actions that address the Parliament’s previous concerns, it would be for MEPs and group leaders to take that into account when considering next steps or any potential timeline.”
