Hungary is a problem for the European Union, for which there is no solution by force.
Hungary is constantly violating the EU’s common values, such as the rule of law and human rights.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his administration, who have been in power since 2010, have been steadily pushing Hungary towards dictatorship. The country has restricted the activities of the free media, the activities of judges in the courts and, most recently, public events for sexual and gender minorities.
Yle asked Finnish MEPs about Hungary’s role in the EU. Regardless of their party, they are concerned about the situation in Hungary and the Orbán administration, but the majority of them do not support Hungary’s expulsion from the EU.
The majority of respondents to the Yle survey draw a distinction between the Hungarian people and the Orbán administration.
To curb Hungary’s stubbornness, they demand stricter measures, such as a wider freeze on EU funding and the removal of Hungary’s voting rights in the Council of the European Union and the European Council.
The Council of the European Union, or the Council of Ministers, consists of representatives from all member states. It is the most important legislator in the Union together with the European Parliament. The European Council, in turn, consists of heads of state, and it makes decisions that are binding on the entire Union.
Ville Niinistö of the Greens emphasizes that the hope of the Hungarian opposition still lies in EU membership.
Pekka Toveri of the National Coalition Party also takes the same line.
“The entire Hungarian people should not be punished for the actions of a corrupt administration. Hungary must remain an EU member, but Orbán’s involvement in building the EU’s common security and supporting Ukraine must be prevented,” Toveri states.
Many are highlighting the need to move from the EU’s unanimity requirement to qualified majority decisions so that Hungary cannot prevent, for example, supporting Ukraine.
Should Hungary’s EU Funding Be Frozen?
MEPs have already been concerned that Hungary is playing around with EU subsidies. Several tens of billions of euros in EU subsidies have been frozen from Hungary, but the country has still received, for example, cohesion, agricultural and research funds from the EU.
At the same time, corruption has spread like wildfire in Hungary. The European Parliament’s Anti-Corruption Group took a stand on this in May, calling for all subsidies to be frozen.
Now, almost every Finnish MEP would freeze Hungary’s subsidies in practice completely.
Hungary has also passed a law that allows authorities to investigate possible foreign money in the accounts of NGOs. In the run-up to the EU elections, Hungary also froze the money of opposition parties, which prevented them from campaigning.
Maria Ohisalo of the Greens wondered whether the EU could bypass the Hungarian government and direct support directly to, for example, democratic NGOs.
The Situation In Hungary May Change, But It Will Be Difficult
Hungary is not the only EU country with which the EU has struggled over the years.
When the conservative Law and Justice party was in power in Poland, it was a thorn in the EU’s side for many reasons, for the same reasons that Hungary is now. However, it fell from power in the 2023 elections.
It is therefore important to create structures that support member states towards democracy and the rule of law, because some of the leaders of the member states—once in Poland and now in Hungary—benefit from a fragmented union, says Jussi Saramo of the Left Alliance.
The rule of law and democracy can only be defended if Hungary is a member state of the EU, says Sirpa Pietikäinen of the National Coalition Party.
Many believe that the unity of the Union must be strong even in difficult situations.
“If the EU is unable to solve the problems caused by one member state without separating it from the union, it is a sign of a serious lack of agency,” assesses Merja Kyllönen of the Left Alliance.
Most parliamentarians point out that the situation in Hungary may change in the upcoming elections. The country will hold parliamentary elections next year, in which Orbán’s power may falter, note Eero Heinäluoma of the Social Democratic Party and Elsi Katainen of the Center Party.
However, not everyone sees Hungary’s future in the EU as bright. Aura Salla and Mika Aaltola of the Coalition Party represent the strictest line of MEPs on the issue.
“Hungary has not had a place in the EU for a long time. The alternatives to expelling the country are simply few. There is no point in the Treaty that would allow expulsion,” Salla states.
Aaltola also reminds us of the rule of law, the systematic violation of which weakens the EU’s internal unity:
“Viktor Orbán’s administration has consistently questioned the value base of liberal democracy on which the EU is built, and has sought cooperation with the European far right with the aim of weakening the unity of the Union from within.”
Anna-Maja Henriksson of the RKP places the responsibility on Hungary itself.
“Hungary should now decide for itself whether it wants to be a member of the EU or a friend of Putin,” Henriksson says.
Source: Yle (in Finnish)