The Hungarian Government openly attacks the EU at home and everywhere it goes abroad. It is now commonplace that it refuses to reach any kind of consensus, constantly using its veto. More and more countries (with the newest one being Austria) seem to be getting tired of this destructiveness.
A few days ago, the Belgian Foreign Minister, who holds the EU Presidency, said that the Union must be strong and continue the Article 7 procedure against Hungary and, if all the ropes are cut, our country must be deprived of its voting rights in the EU.
Our neighbour, the Austrian government, does not seem to support this kind of ‘politicking’ either. It has sided with the Belgians, and it is also in favour of pursuing proceedings against Hungary.
As reported yesterday, Belgium is fed up with Hungary – while supporting its rotating presidency – and is proposing to the EU that Article 7 should continue to be enforced against Hungary and, if necessary, that voting rights should be suspended. According to Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, “we have a Europe that is struggling to move forward and unfortunately some states – one state in particular – are increasingly adopting a blocking and vetoing attitude”. ReaHadja Lahbibd details HERE: Belgium seeks to remove Hungary’s veto power in EU decision-making
In response, the Hungarian Foreign Minister said he seemed unwilling to understand the problem of using a permanent veto and was using the war communication template. Brussels wants to suppress the pro-peace forces and remove the last obstacle to war by silencing and excluding Hungary from the decision-making process. Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, interpreted the government’s position in response to this suggestion. However, he did not say why Hungary now regularly uses the veto and does not seek to understand the position of the overwhelming majority. Lately, the Orbán government has been virtually alone in blocking unanimous decision-making.
Austria has also joined the dialogue
It seems that this is not the end of the story, as Austria has also joined the dialogue. According to Politico, Vienna supports Belgium’s call to continue the process of stripping Hungary of its voting rights, in another sign of frustration in Budapest ahead of the start of the six-month EU Council presidency in July.
We expect all 27 members to fully respect the principles on which our common Union is built,
a spokesperson for the Austrian Foreign Ministry told Politico. “This is particularly true for the rotating EU presidency. With this in mind, we support the strict continuation of the Article 7 procedure against Hungary.”
It is important to note that the European Parliament launched the first phase of the Article 7 procedure against Hungary in 2018, but the process has stalled. The next step of this procedure, which is used when a country is deemed to be in breach of the Alliance’s core values, is often referred to as the “nuclear option”, usually just called the “atom bomb” in Hungary, as it provides the most severe political sanction that can be imposed on a member state: the suspension of voting rights on EU decisions.
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Great news. Glad to see the Austrians putting their foot down on this issue. Hungary is out of control or more accurately under the control of Russia and is a huge security risk to Europe.
Concur – Larry.
Larry – as you have mention – made a reference to in past commentaries, the concern over-all of the intellectual capacity, the ability of Hungarians, which I agree which continues to gravely concern me, as I see Hungary in FAST mode being taken into an ABYSS by the Orban – Fidesz Government, that THROUGH complete lack of SOLIDARITY – the understanding of WHAT politically and “other” this Orban – Fidesz Government continue to INSTRUEMENT in Hungary, sending us to a point of DESTRUCTION, the “feeling” remains that Hungarians just continue to be LEMMINGS following the Fidesz Government without any deep thought PROCESS nor Understanding, of the on-going FALL of Hungary.
WHAT a FUTURE not lies ahead for Hungary, if there is NO wake-up – of the destruction, the distillation of Democracy in Hungary, being bastardized – sold off to the Chinese and Russia, an economy that Hungary in TATTERS.
Imagine that you are a Member of a club. And at this club, there is always this one, who doesn’t appear to be able to convince any other Member of their standpoint, always makes a fuss at meetings and stops the club from moving forward.
What would you do? @mariavontheresa would probably appoint this Member Chair- and Spokesperson, everyone else, though?
So in Europe every country has a right to veto “in principle”, but should not use that right?
The core values of the EU, are for those who read their history books, the protection of the ailing and inefficient coal and steel industries of Belgium, the Saarland and the Lorraine. So is the green revolution being pushed by today’s EU not in clear violation of the founding principles? Or should one maybe be allowed to move beyond one’s founding principles if the situation demands it?
In the empowerment under the principles – Laws of Democracy, the “Creeds” of Democracy, by “due process” – changes have always and continue to be witnessed throughout country’s that are Governed under Democracy.
Hungary – Victor Orban and his Fidesz Government near FALLING deeper “on there sword” – through the POWER of Democracy, that is the core, in being a Member of the European Union,
Empowerment by the European Union, in the matter case in question, by the other 26 member country’s – used in it’s rightful proceduralized process, that encompass involves in it’s application and practice all the “Creeds” of Democracy, and the Laws of the European Union that are written under Democracy.
Orban – his Fidesz Government, there process of the Distillation of Democracy in Hungary, the time nears, that Hungary, will be HUMILIATED by the POWER of Democracy, that will be seen witnessed coming out of the “other” 26 member country’s of the European Union.
Time to leave the EU. Hungary should develop extensive trade with China, extend trade with Russia and other non-aligned countries. Hungary, declare neutrality; the EU can go to the devil and pick another country to bully.
Join us in our self-destructive push toward war or we will try to destroy you, even if we have to ignore our own rules, say the Belgian politician with the non-Belgian name.
The leftist parties who once cried for peace now loudly beat the drums of war.
Hungary is now the only country in this insane gathering of fools demanding peace. We shall soon see which side prevails.
Must be embarrassing for younger and normal Hungarians to have their immature and irresponsible leadership giving Hungary and Hungarians such a bad image and reputation in both Europe and the wider world, while allied with Russia and China?
Trying to out-compete Erdogan’s Turkish regime in promoting nostalgia, ‘collective narcissism’ and ‘pensioner populism’ in maintaining power, nobble the EU for corrupt Russian & Anglo interests, via an ageing/regional voter base and emigration of working age and families.
Very clever, genius and well done, but what about the future and the 21st century?
Most of those who want to leave EU must understand that the consequences includes saying goodby to the annual payment of Euro 4 Billion.
Also, many of you , including Szijjarto es Orban need to read the EU constitution: Hungary is not a sovereign country, all members share some level of sovereignty
“The Belgian politician with the non-Belgium name”… do Fidesz-sympathizers people really want to throw those stones??? Get serious.
Facts, no country should be sold for 4 billion Euros. Secondly, EU withheld payments on lame excuses and used money to fund Ukrainian war. 3. Hungarians voted by a referendum that Hungary should stay out of the melee, that is democracy representative government.
You poor European suckers, you have no choice. Your leaders say a war should be supported and you all become impoverished. You poor European suckers, the EU and your leaders said you have to accept all uneducated, dirty, lazy criminal illegal aliens, the garbage of the world, and your country is ruined. Europeans can no longer afford rent, buy a house; most importantly, now countries have to spend millions to support the criminals and protect women and girls from rape and murder. You poor European suckers, you are ceding your culture to criminal illegals so as not to offend them.
I can go on for hours. Europe, once upon a time was a great place. Now churches are turned into bicycle stores in Holland, your children and brainwashed and mutilated but I will stop.
So, it is better to live in Hungary where hunger and homelessness is not rampant. It is better for women and girls to be safe in the streets. It is better for a child to live in Hungary where their bodies will not be mutilated by greedy surgeons. It is better to live in Hungary a country that rather spend the money on the people than on murder.
Presently, globalists force socialism on people. Who knows what method next EU will use to takeaway small countries’ sovereignty and freedoms.
No Hungary is better off away from the EU and join BRICKS, the economic block consists of Brazil, China, Russia, India, and South Afrika. Presently, China controls mining of many of the minerals needed for the green new deal. Turkey is ready to join. Hungary should follow Turkey.
I can state with confidence that mariavontheresa is, as a minimum, at the extreme end of the right wing spectrum, but is quite possibly unhinged to a dangerous degree. I could address any one of the egregious comments made, but the most alarming is advocating departure from the EU. Hungary’s economy is utterly dependent on EU membership, dare I say its status as an EU member is 80% of the reason BMW and CATL (to name but one battery manufacturer) has invested, while BYD has chosen Szeged as the location of its first European factory. Outside of the EU, Hungary’s output is largely unexportable to the EU as it would face tarrifs and quotas. The UK at least managed to negotiate a tarrif and quota-free trade deal with the EU but only applicable to products that are manufactured in the UK or EU to begin with and it doesn’t apply to services. Hungary wouldn’t be offered the same deal, it would be point blank frozen out of the EU due in part to its intrasigence, in part due to its insignificant value to the wider EU economy. The UK’s economy has been severely dented while Hungary’s would be battered beyond recognition while living standards would decline to the level of Moldova. China doesn’t want cheap Hungarian labour to then ship back to China, or anywhere other than the EU. The Hungarian workforce is expensive compared to the bulk of the developing world (and indeed, China herself), labour shortages are rampant and the most skilled and educated have a tendency to emigrate west leaving Hungarian employers fighting to secure suitably skilled staff. Departing from the EU would guarantee that these people would NEVER return to their homeland as they could never reemigrate to the EU again without fulfilling onerous work visa requirements for third country nationals, so they’ll hang onto their status in the EU until their dying breath.
I find it perplexing that absolutely anyone in Hungary would think like mariavontheresa but there are many, moreover, the worrying thing is that their numbers are growing who would gladly cut off their nose to spite their face.
The UK left the EU to maintain its sovereignty. I am surprised Londonsteve that you support ceding freedom and sovereignty to EU globalists. EU refuses to respect the right of internal affairs of nations. Hungary has a system where referendum is used to help the government make decisions acceptable to citizens. One of those decisions was no illegal migrants and second no participation in the Ukraine/Russia war.
The government represents the citizens and votes accordingly at EU and NATO. Now, the EU wants to take away Hungary’s veto because the people of Hungary do not wish to fill the country with aliens and do not support the enemy Ukraine.
Hopefully, smart Hungarians will be able to come-up with a solution. UK decisions should have been supported by parliament. The Conservative government ignored the wishes of the British people and allowed every Tom, Dick and Harry into the country without deporting even the criminals. This caused problems in the housing sectors, schools and healthcare system. There is no end to having to support the migrants. It is a sad to see the UK be in such strains.
Presently, Hungary’s main advantage is its chemical free agricultural products. This industry should be expanded. This could be a good start.