12 Sep 2018, DG: In a tense vote, a majority of EU lawmakers backed a motion that opens the door to sanctions against Hungary. Orban's government is accused of silencing independent media, targeting NGOs and removing independent judges.
Members of the European Parliament voted to censure the Hungarian government on Wednesday for eroding democracy and failing to uphold fundamental European Union values.
MEPs voted in favor of triggering the Article 7 sanctions procedures against Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government, which could lead to Hungary losing its EU voting rights.
What the vote means: The measure does not immediately penalize Hungary, but it opens the door for sanctions to be imposed. Wednesday's vote also means that a formal warning will be sent to Hungary for violating the EU's values.
EU-Hungary tensions: Speaking at the EU Parliament on Tuesday, Orban described the vote as an act of revenge against Hungary for refusing to take in refugees under an EU-wide resettlement quota scheme. Although Brussels and Budapest have repeatedly clashed over immigration and refugee policy, the vote on Wednesday addressed broader concerns with the state of democracy and rule of law in Hungary.
A report by MEP Judith Sargentini, which triggered the Article 7 vote, found that Orban's attacks on independent media, academics, the judiciary, migrants and refugees and the rights of minorities pose a "systemic threat" to the EU's fundamental principles.
Historic vote: The vote was the first time that the EU Parliament considered launching the Article 7 sanctions process against a member state. The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, launched Article 7 proceedings against Poland last year over its judicial reforms.
What is Article 7? Article 7 of the Lisbon Treaty opens a path for sanctions against a member state and a temporary loss of EU Council voting rights. The mechanism is triggered when one of the bloc's members violates the vales of "human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities."
What happens next: The motion will now pass to the leaders of the EU's 28-member states for approval. However, a unanimous vote is required to suspend Hungary's voting rights and launch sanctions - a move that is likely to be blocked by Poland.
"We don't see these people as Muslim refugees. We see them as Muslim invaders," Orban said in a recent interview with German daily Bild newspaper. The 54-year-old prime minister of Hungary added: "We believe that a large number of Muslims inevitably leads to parallel societies, because Christian and Muslim society will never unite." Multiculturalism, he said, "is only an illusion."
