Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools
Sections
You are here: Home Breaking news Leading MEP wants Hungary stripped of rights

Leading MEP wants Hungary stripped of rights

10 January 2012, 14:11 CET
— filed under: ,

(BRUSSELS) - The European parliament's centrist group aims to launch proceedings to strip Hungary of its EU rights to protest its controversial constitutional reforms, the leader of the group said Tuesday.

Former Belgiam premier and leader of the Liberals and Democrats, Guy Verhofstadt, said in a speech that "I see no other option in the case of Hungary than to launch with the parliament the procedure foreseen in article 7" of the EU treaty.

The text enables the assembly in the case of risk of serious violation of European Union values to suspend the rights of a member state, including voting rights. But a four-fifths majority, or 22 of the 27 states, is required.

"The Hungarian crisis is as important as the euro crisis," Verhofstadt said in a speech scheduled for later Tuesday that was released by his office.

"Both concern the credibility of our union in the eyes of our citizens."

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has come under international fire over constitutional refoms adopted by his parliamentary majority.

Critics say they remove checks and balances on the power of the government and increase Orban's control over the judiciary and central bank, while skewering the electoral system in his party's favour and curbing freedom of the press.


Document Actions