The European Parliament on Wednesday voted in favor of kick-starting disciplinary action against Hungary that could see some of the central European nation's voting rights restricted for failing to abide by European Union core values.

Lawmakers in Strasbourg voted 448 to 197 in favor of triggering the hitherto dormant Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union, which could punish Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist government should the decision be adopted by EU leaders at the Council. </s> STRASBOURG — The European Parliament passed a motion on Wednesday declaring that Hungary is at risk of breaching the EU’s core values, triggering a disciplinary process that could exacerbate deep divisions within the bloc.

The assembly approved the motion with 448 votes in favor to initiate the so-called Article 7 process for the first time, citing concerns about judicial independence, corruption, freedom of expression, academic freedom, the rights of minorities and migrants, and other issues. A total of 197 members of the European Parliament opposed the motion and 48 abstained.

The vote reflects a divide within the EU, between those who stress that it is a community of liberal values, and leaders such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has championed the idea of “illiberal democracy.” Broadly speaking, major Western European governments such as France and Germany along with the European Commission are in the former camp while governments in Central and Eastern Europe are in the latter.

The Commission initiated Article 7 proceedings against Poland last year, citing concerns about government influence over the judiciary and other rule-of-law issues.

The Article 7 process can lead to a member country being stripped of its right to vote in the Council of the European Union. Things are unlikely to get that far with either Poland or Hungary, however, as it would require the unanimous approval of other member countries — and multiple EU governments do not want to take that step.

Orbán has clashed repeatedly with Brussels in recent years, most notably over his hard-line rejection of Muslim refugees and migrants. But he has also faced criticism for crackdowns on Budapest’s Central European University and NGOs, and for a more general “Stop Brussels” anti-European Commission campaign he mounted last year.

The vote increases the pressure on leaders of the European People’s Party, the center-right bloc that makes up the largest group in the Parliament, to suspend or expel Orbán’s Fidesz party from their ranks. More liberal parties in the group have pushed to have Fidesz removed but Manfred Weber, the EPP leader in the Parliament, has indicated he does not want to heed their calls.

Shortly before the vote, Weber tweeted that he would back the motion but the EPP group “wants to keep the dialogue and continue bringing Europe together. The dialogue should begin, not end, in the upcoming weeks and months.”

But he also added, “It is clear for us that our European values are not negotiable.”

Immediately after the vote, MEPs gave a standing ovation to Dutch Green MEP Judith Sargentini, who drafted the report upon which the resolution was based.

“I am so proud that my Hungary report has the support of the European Parliament, but this is foremost about the rights of Hungarian citizens. I thank my colleagues that stand for the protection of democracy and the rule of law, above their interest in party politics,” Sargentini said.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó decried the vote as “revenge” by pro-migration politicians. He also said it involved “cheating” because abstentions were not counted in determining whether the necessary two-thirds majority had been met.

Nigel Farage, the U.K. Independence Party MEP, slammed the vote, declaring that “the authoritarian grip of the EU gets even tighter.”

This article has been updated.

Read this next: European Parliament votes to adopt copyright reform </s> The European parliament could vote to trigger an EU sanction process against Hungary over violations of the rule of law under the prime minister, Viktor Orbán.

MEPs on the civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee will vote on whether to open the EU’s disciplinary procedure against the country, a lengthy legal process that could lead to Hungary being stripped of voting rights.



While that outcome is very unlikely, the unprecedented vote on Monday is a symbolic move against Orbán, who was re-elected for a third term in April, after a campaign that international observers said had clearly favoured the ruling coalition and was characterised by intimidating and xenophobic rhetoric.



If the MEPs take the first step on the rule of law process, they will throw down a gauntlet to Europe’s most powerful political alliance, the European People’s party (EPP), the group of Angela Merkel and Jean-Claude Juncker, which has been accused of legitimatising Orbán by keeping his Fidesz party in its ranks.

The European parliament has the power to trigger the EU’s little-used rule of law mechanism, known as article 7, but this will be the first time it has attempted to do so.



Josef Weidenholzer, an Austrian Social Democrat MEP, said the EU had to act. “Hungary is now in a situation – [where] we would call it it a facade democracy.”

He predicted the committee would vote to trigger the rule of law mechanism. “There will be a majority, but democracy is about surprises,” he said, adding that the biggest uncertainty was the stance of the EPP. On Monday morning, EPP MEPs held a free vote, an indication of the acute divisions within the bloc.



A second parliamentary source also predicted the decision would pass, but said the final outcome was much more uncertain. The vote is only a first step and a final decision to launch the procedure requires a two-thirds majority in the European parliament.



If a majority of MEPs vote in September, ministers will be obliged to consider whether there is a serious and persistent breach of the EU’s basic democratic values in Hungary.



The Dutch Green MEP Judith Sargentini has spent 13 months drafting a report to prepare for the unprecedented procedure. It is based on the work of many international organisations and raises a dozen key concerns about the erosion of democracy in Hungary.

The draft report highlights fears about the functioning of Hungary’s constitution, which has been amended six times since 2012. It also itemises concerns about the centralisation of justice, declining transparency over state funds and threats to freedom of expression and the right to equal treatment.

“Close friends do not shy away from telling each other the unpleasant truth,” the report states. “Based on the process sketched above, your rapporteur sees the need to request the council to come forward with appropriate measures to restore inclusive democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights in Hungary.”



The report was completed before the Hungarian parliament last week passed widely criticised anti-immigrant laws that make it a criminal offence punishable by a jail term to help people lodge asylum claims.



The European commission is “now going to review the Hungarian legislation on migration to determine whether it is compatible with European rules”, a spokeswoman said last week.

Hungary’s response was made plain in a radio interview where Orbán lashed out at the commission for “pestering, pressuring and attacking Poland” and “attacking Hungary”.

Orbán has long accused the commission of overreaching its powers, a charge he has stepped up in recent years with a “Stop Brussels” campaign.

He said the anti-immigration legislation had been flagged up in the electoral campaign. “The people wanted this and the people voted for this,” Orbán told state radio last week. “Who would dare to criticise or condemn the 80 or 90% decision of a country’s legislature?”

The EU triggered the rule of law process for the first time in 2017, when it took action against Poland for changes to the judiciary that international experts say threaten the rule of law.



Poland’s EU affairs minister will appear before his 27 counterparts from the other member states at a hearing on Tuesday, where he will seek to counter the charge of a “systemic threat” to Polish democracy. </s> EU lawmakers vote for rule of law action against Hungary

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union lawmakers have voted for launching action against Hungary over allegations that Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government is breaching the bloc's fundamental values.

The European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee voted Monday for a report that recommends triggering an "Article 7 procedure" amid concerns about judicial independence, media freedoms and the harsh treatment of migrants in Hungary. The full assembly must still endorse the move for it to happen.

The procedure could result in Hungary losing EU voting rights, although this is unlikely because Poland, which is also facing Article 7 action launched by the EU's executive Commission, would probably veto it.

The Commission says it is also scrutinizing laws passed in Hungary last week allowing jail sentences for people convicted of aiding asylum seekers, and which ban homelessness. </s> A key committee in the European Parliament voted by a large majority in favor of triggering the EU’s so-called Article 7 process against Hungary, which could ultimately lead to EU sanctions for failing to uphold the bloc’s core values.

MEPs from the Justice and Home Affairs Committee voted by 37 votes to 19 to back a resolution, drafted by Dutch Green MEP Judith Sargentini, which says the situation in Hungary exposes “a clear risk of a serious breach of the values referred to in Article 2 of the Treaties” and calls on the Article 7(1) procedure.

Sargentini’s text highlights concerns about the independence of the judiciary, academic freedom, corruption, freedom of expression, and the rights of migrants in Hungary, among other issues.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government has been accused by critics at home and abroad of putting Hungary on the road to autocracy and reintroducing undemocratic practices. Earlier this month, the Hungarian parliament passed controversial legislation banning anyone from assisting or providing information to migrants and asylum-seekers.

The government has repeatedly dismissed such criticism as overblown and unwarranted meddling in Hungary’s domestic affairs.

If the full Parliament votes in favor on Sargentini’s resolution at a plenary session in September, the assembly will formally ask the Council to trigger the first of a three-step process that could lead to Hungary being stripped of its voting rights in the Council.

Although the final step of sanctions is unlikely — as all other EU member countries would have to vote in favor — a decision to begin the process could damage Hungary’s international standing.

A breakdown of Monday’s vote showed that eight members of the European People’s Party, the center-right grouping that includes Orbán’s Fidesz party, voted in favor of Sargentini’s resolution.

The EPP has been criticized for keeping Fidesz in its ranks, though many EPP members argue that this has helped the group to keep Orbán in check, temper some of his impulses and avoid a problem that could be much more serious. Orbán himself said in a recent speech that he wanted to stay in the EPP and try to reform it.

The vote could add fuel to already strained West-East relations in the EU, just days before EU leaders gather in Brussels for a European Council summit to discuss, among other topics, the sensitive issue of migration. Orbán has been among the strongest critics of EU migration policies.

Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign affairs minister, played down the importance of Monday’s vote. In an official statement on the ministry’s website, he said Brussels was “playing to Georges Soros’ tune,” while “in Hungary, we look at the interests of the Hungarian people.”

Orbán has often accused Soros, an American-Hungarian businessman and philanthropist, of undermining Hungary’s national interests — a charge Soros rejects.

Read this next: Former NATO chief denied visa waiver for US entry </s> European Union legislators voted overwhelmingly in favour of launching punitive action against the Hungarian government for flouting democratic rules in a stunning political blow for Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

With 448 votes in favour, 197 against and 48 abstentions, the motion passed in the plenary session on Wednesday, the first time ever the European legislature triggered an Article 7 procedure against an EU member state.

The unprecedented vote could allow Hungary's EU voting rights to be stripped.

Dutch Greens MEP Judith Sargentini, who spearheaded the vote, smiled broadly and breathed a sigh of relief before embracing her supporters in parliament in the French city of Strasbourg.

"It is a positive sign of this parliament taking responsibility and wanting action," Sargentini told a press conference afterward.

She had urged colleagues not to let Hungary off the hook, declaring that Orban's rule "violates the values on which this union was built".

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said before the vote that the commission "will resist all attacks on the rule of law" in an annual state-of-the-union speech in the European Parliament.

Juncker went on to say the commission, which proposes EU legislation and oversees implementation of decisions, "continues to be very concerned by the developments" in some EU member states and promised to employ the rule-of-law procedure against any governments that veer from the EU's democratic principles.

EU 'blackmail'

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wasted little time in slamming the vote as "nothing less than the petty revenge of pro-immigration politicians".

"This decision condemning Hungary and the Hungarian people was made because we Hungarians have demonstrated that migration in not a necessary process and that migration can be stopped," Szijjarto told reporters in Budapest.

Since sweeping to power in 2010, Orban has pressured courts, media, and non-governmental groups, as well as refusing to take in asylum seekers arriving in Europe.

Though the EU has often protested, it largely failed to stop what his critics decry as Orban's growing authoritarianism.

But a surge in support for nationalist and populist politicians across the bloc galvanised a stronger reaction. Speaking in front of the assembly on Tuesday, Orban said he would not bow to the EU's "blackmail" and stick to his policies.

Refugee stance

The vote was hailed as "historic" by Berber Biala-Hettinga, Amnesty International's expert on human rights in the EU.

"The European Parliament rightly stood up for the Hungarian people and for the EU. They made it clear that human rights, the rule of law and democratic values are not up for negotiation," she said.

In June, Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly passed a law imposing jail terms for anybody seen to be aiding undocumented immigrants.

The law targets rights groups and NGOs and allows banning of organisations.

In addition to the bill, the parliament also passed a constitutional amendment stating an "alien population" cannot be settled in Hungary.

Szijjarto said Hungary was considering legal options to appeal the result because of the way the vote was tallied.

He also claimed the vote involved "massive fraud" since abstentions weren't counted into the final tally, which made it easier to reach the needed two-thirds majority.

'Afraid of foreigners'

Uli Brueckner, a professor of European studies at Stanford University in Berlin, told Al Jazeera the vote was made because of Hungary's "misfunctioning democracy".

"In a populous agenda, it is always useful to play the blame-game, and the blame-game here is 'we are afraid of foreigners'. It is always useful to play a blame-game. It instrumentalises people's fears," Brueckner said of the government's policies.

Aside from its anti-immigrant stance, Orban's government is also accused of silencing independent media and academia, removing independent judges, cracking down on organisations helping homeless people, migrants or disadvantaged groups, such as Roma, and condoning government corruption.

The vote means the other EU states must now look at what to do with Hungary.

The most severe punishment under the Article 7 procedure is stripping Hungary of its voting rights in the EU. However, that move is highly unlikely as the rest of the EU needs unanimity.

Poland's nationalist and anti-immigration government - against which the EU Commission has slowly enacted Article 7 procedures over the last two years over concerns about the independence of its judiciary - is expected to block any tough action against Orban.

"Poland is very worried by the decision taken by parliament today," Joanna Kopcinska, spokeswoman for Poland's ruling Law and Justice party, told AFP news agency.

Kopcinska said the vote threatens the EU's unity. "It is necessary to resolve such disputes through dialogue and not diktat," she said. </s> European Union lawmakers voted on Wednesday to launch action against the Hungarian government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban for allegedly undermining the bloc's democratic values and rule of law. Hungary called the vote fraudulent and vowed to challenge it.

The lawmakers voted 448-197 in favor of a report recommending the launch of a so-called Article 7 procedure, which could lead to the suspension of Hungary's European Union voting rights.

It is the first time in EU history that the European Parliament had initiated and approved such a motion, which needed a two-thirds majority to pass and was approved by 69.4 percent of the lawmakers.

For years, Orban had been able to deflect much of the international condemnation thrown his way. Critics say that Hungary's electoral system is disproportionate; media freedoms and judicial independence are dwindling; asylum-seekers and refugees are mistreated and there are limits placed on non-governmental organizations.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, echoing Orban's longtime position, called the Wednesday's vote "petty revenge" against Hungary for its tough anti-migration policies.

He also claimed that the vote involved "massive fraud" since abstentions weren't counted into the final tally, which made it easier to reach the needed majority.

There were 48 abstentions, so the 448 in favor exceeded the two-thirds needed only because it was based on 645 votes. If the abstentions were counted into the final tally, there would have been a total 693 votes, so the 448 in favor wouldn't have reached two-thirds.

Szijjarto said Hungary was considering legal options to appeal the result because of the way the vote was tallied.

But Judith Sargentini, who presented the report prepared by the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, welcomed the outcome.

"Viktor Orban's government has been leading the charge against European values by silencing independent media, replacing critical judges, and putting academia on a leash," Sargentini said. "The Hungarian people deserve better. They deserve freedom of speech, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice and equality, all of which are enshrined in the European treaties."

"This is a historic result for Hungarian citizens and for European citizens everywhere, that the European Parliament has voted by a large majority to stand up for the values we all hold dear," Sargentini said.

The move saw some members of the European People's Party bloc — of which Orban's Fidesz movement is a member — vote against their ally in Budapest.

Even EPP leader Mandred Weber, who earlier was supportive of Orban and is seeking to become the European Commission president next year, said he had voted for triggering Article 7.

"I have always been in favor of building bridges and I want to continue to do so, but yesterday (Tuesday) I didn't see any readiness from the Hungarian PM to make a move towards his EU partners and address our concerns," Manfred tweeted.

While Weber had called on Orban to show a willingness to compromise on some of the most high-profile issues — like an agreement being delayed by the Hungarian government for the Central European University, founded by George Soros, Orban's ideological opponent, to remain in Budapest and recent laws criminalizing the work of civic groups working with asylum-seekers and refugees — Orban remained steadfast that his policies wouldn't change.

"I have nothing to compromise about since the questions they objected to were decided by the Hungarian people," Orban said Tuesday in Strasbourg, France, after the debate in the European Parliament on the report on Hungary. "There is nothing to talk about."

Orban, who was re-elected in April to his third consecutive term in office, fourth overall also said Tuesday that he expected lawmakers to approve the motion with the support of some EPP lawmakers.

"The order has arrived from Berlin and they will vote accordingly," Orban said, in reference to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose governing Christian Democratic Union is the largest party in the EPP.

Orban has insisted that all of the criticism against his government is based on Hungary's tough anti-immigration policies, which include fences built in 2015 on Hungary's southern borders with Serbian and Croatia to divert the flow of migrants and very restrictive asylum rules. He has also expressed his desire to remain within the EPP, which he said was "deeply divided" on the issue of migration.

The vote, however, has little chance of ending up with the ultimate penalty of Hungary being suspended from voting in the EU. If nothing else, its Polish ally would veto that.

The 197 votes cast against the parliament's first bid to launch the punitive process of the EU treaty's Article 7 also highlighted the substantial minority of European opinion who see Orban as a crusader for the rights of nation states and ethnic majorities against rules of civic behavior agreed in Brussels.

Since sweeping to power in 2010, Orban, once a campaigner against Hungary's Soviet Communist overlords, has used his parliamentary majority to pressure courts, media and non-government groups in ways his opponents say breach EU rules.

He has also led opposition to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and others who want Europe to take in more Muslim refugees.

With Britain about to leave the bloc altogether in March and Europeans voting in European Parliament elections in May, the row over Hungary -- and Poland, which faces a similar sanctions procedure launched by the executive European Commission in 2017 -- highlights tensions between nationalist and federalist camps.

All the applause for the Hungarian leader on Tuesday came from the far right of the chamber, notably among supporters of France's Marine Le Pen and the UK Independence Party.

Geert Wilders, the leader of the Dutch anti-immigration Freedom Party, called the vote - which also weighed on Hungarian assets - "a bloody shame".

"Orban is a hero and deserves the Nobel Prize. He closed the borders for Islamic fortune seekers. He protects his citizens against terror and defends the identity of his country," he said.

The Commission has preferred to pressure Budapest through standard legal powers, but the head of the EU executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, also an EPP member, said he would have voted for the move if he were a lawmaker. </s> Some 448 members of the European Parliament voted in favor of the triggering of the punitive measure against Hungary, with 197 voting against and 48 abstentions. The vote took place in the Strasbourg plenary session.

The procedure could result in Hungary being deprived of its voting rights in the Council of the European Union. The measure also opens the door for sanctions against the country. Following the EU Parliament's approval, the motion will pass on to the leaders of the EU's 28-member states.

READ MORE: Orban Under Fire as EU Parliament Debates Hungary's Human Rights Record

Last year, the European Commission commenced the same procedure against Poland over its judicial reforms.

READ MORE: Hungary to Protect Borders, Stop Illegal Migrants, Stand Up to EU If Needed — PM

Hungary has long been critical of the European Union's open-door policy, which was initially introduced at the onset of the continent's immigration crisis, and opposed mandatory migrant relocation quotas. Budapest's stance prompted the European Commission to launch its first infringement procedure against Hungary over its asylum legislation in December 2015. Hungary, in particular, set up border fences and enhanced border controls with neighboring Serbia.

READ MORE: EU Plan to Distribute Migrants Will Increase Threat of Terrorism — Hungarian FM </s> The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee voted Monday for launching action against Hungary over allegations that Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government is breaching the EU’s fundamental values. The committee voted Monday for a report that recommends triggering an “Article 7 procedure” amid concerns about judicial independence, media freedoms and the harsh treatment of migrants in Hungary, AP said. The full assembly must still endorse the move for it to happen. The procedure could result in Hungary losing EU voting rights. However, this is unlikely because Poland, which is also facing Article 7 action launched by the EU’s executive Commission, would probably veto it.
Members of the European Parliament vote to activate the European Union's disciplinary process against Hungary, citing alleged discrepancies administering the rule of law in the country under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.