Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar is asking Ireland for help in ending Article 7 proceedings, which threaten Budapest with the suspension of voting rights in the EU.
On Thursday, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar asked Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin to help his country end proceedings against Hungary based on Article 7 of the EU Treaty regarding violations of legal norms and democratic values of the Union. On July 1, Ireland will take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union from Cyprus, TASR writes about it according to the AFP and MTI agencies.
- Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar asked Ireland for help in ending the proceedings.
- Proceedings under article seven of the EU against Hungary have been running since 2018.
- The proceedings may even lead to the suspension of Hungary’s voting rights in the Union.
- Magyar requests the withdrawal of the European Parliament’s complaint and its subsequent closure by the Council.
- Ireland has promised to cooperate in the reforms needed to release frozen European funds.
Legal proceedings under Article 7 of the EU Treaty against Hungary were initiated in 2018 at the initiative of the European Parliament. According to the majority of MEPs in Hungary, there was a clear risk of a serious violation of the basic values of the EU due to the policy of then Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Such an action may even result in the suspension of Hungary’s voting rights in the EU.
Request for support from Ireland
“We will count on the help of the (Irish) presidency in closing the ongoing Article 7 proceedings against Hungary,” Magyar said after talks with Martin in Budapest.
He also wants to talk about this matter with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsolová, in addition to the meeting of the European Council in mid-June. According to him, the goal is to bring the proceedings to an end “as soon as possible”.
Conditions for termination of proceedings
“For this to happen, the European Parliament must first withdraw its complaint – the decision that started the procedure – and then the EU Council must also close the procedure,” explained Magyar.
Since taking office, Magyar has already visited Brussels and key member states, including Germany and France. The goal is to improve strained relations from Orbán’s 16-year rule. Last Friday, the EU announced it would release more than 16 billion euros to Hungary, which had been frozen due to rule of law concerns, in return for Hungary’s promise to adopt the necessary reforms.
Support for the implementation of reforms
The Irish Prime Minister has promised to work closely with the European Commission to help Hungary release frozen funds. “You have our support in implementing the necessary reforms, which I understand you and your government have already made great progress on,” Martin said.
