The European Parliament is on track to end the long-running Article 7 procedure, the EU’s so-called “nuclear option" against Hungary, which was launched in 2018 over concerns about violations of EU values under then-prime minister Viktor Orbán.
With Péter Magyar now leading the Hungarian government, the country is revising several laws dating back to the Orbán era, prompting the Parliament to reconsider its position, according to several MEPs and officials who spoke to Euronews.
“Hungary has completed many reforms that bring the country into closer alignment with the EU," said a senior MEP from the European People’s Party (EPP), the Parliament’s largest political group. "I see it as reasonable that the procedure ends soon, and I hope it will,” he added.
The EPP is among the political forces prepared to push for the withdrawal of Article 7, in a bid to secure a political victory for Magyar’s Tisza party, which is a member of the party.
The Article 7 procedure is an exceptional measure that can ultimately strip a country of its voting rights if a serious breach of EU values is established. MEPs triggered it against Hungary in 2018, citing concerns over judicial independence, corruption, media freedom and fundamental rights, as well as the rights of minorities and migrants.
