As tolerance runs thin over recent legislation measures in Budapest, EU ministers gathering for a General Affairs Council in Brussels have started a hearing on the rule of law in Hungary under the EU’s Article 7 process.
Among the main issues that will be brought up during the hearing are the draft transparency law, which targets foreign-funded media and non-governmental organisations, and the prohibition on the Budapest Pride, which is part of Viktor Orbán’s government’s self-proclaimed “spring clean.”
Twenty member states issued a united statement before of the summit condemning the prohibition on the Pride march in Budapest, saying it is against EU law. These changes are quite concerning as they contradict core principles such as equality, freedom, and human dignity.
We urge Hungary to amend these policies in order to comply with its international commitments and guarantee the protection and observance of the basic freedoms and human rights of all of its inhabitants,” the statement stated.
Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain, Cyprus, Malta, and Greece all signed the statement. In addition, the signatories urged the European Commission to fully utilise its toolkit for rule of law in the event that Hungary fails to amend the legislation.
Also Read:
In Texas, a Deadly Measles Outbreak Does little to Dispel Vaccine Skepticism
