The EU Parliament no longer considers Hungary a fully-fledged democracy. Because conditions in the country have deteriorated so much, it has become an “elective autocracy,” a report said. The MPs justified this, among other things, with a disintegration of the rule of law and fundamental rights.
The Hungarian government is deliberately and systematically trying to undermine the fundamental values of the EU treaties, they say. For example, the European Commission accused Hungary of corruption, conflicts of interest and enormous problems with public procurement and party financing. She has long criticized corruption in particular. A July report spoke of “an environment in which the risks of clientelism, favoritism and favoritism in higher public administration are not addressed”.
Another document reports “serious systemic irregularities, deficiencies and weaknesses in public procurement procedures”. A group around Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban would enrich itself at the expense of the common EU budget. A number of MEPs have been calling for action for months against suspected violations of the rule of law in our neighboring country. The country may have to be cut EU funds.
Will fewer EU funds follow?
To actually reduce the resources, a decision is needed by at least 15 EU countries with at least 65 percent of the EU population. At the moment, however, a compromise with Hungary is still possible, causing some MPs to fear that the money will eventually go to Hungary.
In April, after much hesitation, the European Commission initiated the rule of law mechanism against Hungary to prevent EU funds from being misused. The new document reveals that the agency could propose EU states to withhold up to 70 percent from various Structural Fund programmes. These are intended to support disadvantaged regions. Green MP Daniel Freund calculated that this could be about seven billion euros less for Hungary. A similar proposal could be decided on Sunday under President Ursula von der Leyen.
criticism of inactivity
In their report, MEPs also criticized the European Union itself for not acting decisively and taking appropriate measures to prevent the collapse of democracy. Hungary had become “a hybrid system of electoral autocracy”. However, this classification is not binding.
While Austrian ÖVP member Lukas Mandl and SPÖ member Bettina Vollath share Hungary’s classification, Liberal delegation leader Harald Vilimsky criticized: “The general situation of the rule of law in Hungary is denounced in this report, without specific violations It is a shame how Hungary is being treated here on the European stage.” It is a “political staging by the left”.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
