EU Parliament calls for action against Hungary over rule of law crisis

The European Parliament has adopted its second interim report on Hungary’s persistent undermining of the rule of law and repeated breaches of European Union values.

The report, adopted with 415 votes in favour, 193 against and 28 abstentions, reviews developments under the Article 7 procedure, triggered in 2018, across 12 key areas of concern, including electoral integrity, judicial independence and corruption.

MEPs criticised Hungary for revisiting European Court of Justice rulings before they are applied domestically, threatening judicial independence, and systematically refusing to implement European Court of Human Rights judgments.

They also highlighted a troubling link between corruption and electoral integrity, pointing to clientelist networks and obstacles faced by Hungary’s anti-corruption body, which could endanger EU funds allocated to the country.

The report specifically criticised the European Commission’s decision to release cohesion funds, urging measures to ensure that civil society and other final recipients are not deprived of financial support.

Other concerns raised include the government’s weakening of the national judicial council, restrictions on citizens’ rights, threats to academic freedom, politically motivated business practices, preferential allocation of state advertising, and a de facto constitutional ban on Pride marches.

The report also flags the growing use of AI-generated political content ahead of Hungary’s 2026 elections. MEPs warned against the deliberate posting of deepfake videos on social-media channels linked to the prime minister’s party, noting that such materials could mislead voters, discredit opponents, and threaten the integrity of elections. They highlighted potential breaches of the EU’s Digital Services Act, data protection rules, and the AI Act.

Parliament called for a fresh push for sanctions, describing Hungary’s political system as a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy.” The report condemned Hungary’s repeated use of its Council veto as leverage and urged decisive action under Article 7(2) TEU.

It also called for a swift conclusion to the European Commission’s investigation into alleged Hungarian espionage within EU institutions, including scrutiny of Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, who was head of Hungary’s Permanent Representation at the time.

Rapporteur Tineke Strik (Greens/EFA, NL) said: “The lack of decisive action by the Commission and the Council against Hungary has allowed a continuous erosion of democracy and the rule of law. The EU cannot allow Hungary's autocratisation to continue. Any further delay by the Council would violate the very values it claims to uphold.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev