Key facts
- Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar met with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
- Magyar stated they agreed the EU's Article 7 procedure against Hungary should conclude by autumn.
- Metsola's office emphasized that positive progress and concrete actions are needed for any timeline consideration.
- The Article 7 procedure, initiated in 2018, addresses concerns over Hungary's rule of law and democracy.
- Magyar aims to unfreeze over €16 billion in EU funds by halting the procedure and introducing reforms.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced Thursday that he and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola had discussed concluding the European Union's eight-year rule-of-law disciplinary procedure against Hungary.
Magyar, who previously served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), stated on X after their meeting in Strasbourg that the Article 7 procedure, launched in response to concerns over the rule of law and democracy under the previous government, should be concluded by autumn. He also indicated plans to address the Parliament after the summer.
The Article 7 procedure, often called the EU's "nuclear option," was triggered by the Parliament in 2018. It allows for the potential suspension of a member state's voting rights if it breaches the bloc's core values. While EU countries have not reached the required majority to suspend Hungary's rights, the procedure remains active.
Metsola's office provided a more reserved account of the meeting, stating that she informed Magyar that the Parliament would consider positive progress and concrete actions addressing its previous concerns when evaluating next steps or any potential timeline. EU lawmakers had previously taken action due to rule-of-law backsliding under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Since his election as prime minister in April, Magyar has advocated for halting the Article 7 process, intending to implement reforms to unlock over €16 billion in frozen EU funds. In April, Manfred Weber, the head of the center-right European People's Party (EPP), to which Magyar's Tisza party belongs, called for an end to the proceedings. However, MEP Tinneke Strik, who leads the Article 7 file, argued in April that the process should continue until all concerns are resolved. Sophie Wilmes, a Parliament vice president, noted that while the new Hungarian government's shift is evident, specific concerns must be addressed, with a parliamentary mission in October set to assess the situation concretely and objectively.