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MEPs applaud the report's author Judith Sargentini.
European Parliament condemns
Hungary for violating EU values
bne IntelliNews
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban suffered a major blow at the European Parliament, which voted on September 12 to launch an Article 7 procedure against Hungary for undermin- ing EU values. MEPs voted 448 in favour and 197 against, with 48 abstentions in Strasbourg on the report that required
a two-thirds majority to pass.
The report authored by Green MEP Judith Sargentini says there is a "clear risk" of a serious breach by Hungary of the values of the European Union and calls for the Article 7 procedure, which ultimately suspends a member state's voting rights, to be opened. This is the first time the EP has initiated such a procedure against a member state, an unprecedented move that will taint Orban's Fidesz party in Europe.
The report notes concerns related to the functioning of the constitutional and electoral system; the independence of the
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judiciary and of other institutions and the rights of judges; corruption and conflicts of interest; privacy and data protec-
tion; freedom of expression; academic freedom; freedom of religion; freedom of
counted on. Of the 219 MEPs in the fac- tion, 114 voted to back the document, which showed deep fractures within the conservative EPP, the biggest political group in the EU.
“Yesterday I didn't see any readiness from the Hungarian PM to make a move towards his EU partners and address our concerns”
association; the right to equal treatment; the rights of persons belonging to minori- ties, including Roma and Jews, and pro- tection against hateful statements against such minorities; the fundamental rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees; and economic and social rights.
European People's Party divided
Orban received a rebuke even from fel- low members of the European People's Party (EPP), whose support he had
EPP faction leader, a contender for the post of European Commission president, Manfred Weber voted to trigger Article 7 against Hungary.
“I have always been in favour of building bridges and I want to continue to do so but yesterday I didn't see any readiness from the Hungarian PM to make a move towards his EU partners and address our concerns,” he said on Twitter.