Patriots for Europe group urges EU Commission to act on Hungary's alleged democratic backsliding
A cross-national group of MEPs called the European Commission to address what they describe as authoritarian measures by Hungary's government, including retroactive constitutional changes and the detention of opposition figures.
MEPs from the Patriots for Europe faction, representing Hungary, France, Austria, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic, have lodged a written request with the European Commission. They claim the Hungarian government, under Orbán Viktor, has introduced retroactive constitutional amendments that exclude the majority of opposition parliamentarians from future elections and has engaged in illegal prosecutorial actions, including seizing assets of the main opposition party and announcing arrests of opposition politicians prior to court rulings.
The faction argues that such measures breach the EU treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, specifically articles 2, 19 and 47, and demand an unequivocal answer from Brussels. They stress that protecting democratic rights in Hungary is a shared European responsibility and warn that similar retroactive legislation would disqualify 164 current MEPs from re-election if applied at the EU level. The statement also notes the recent appointment of Gál Kinga as co-leader of the faction's parliamentary delegation.
Why it matters
It highlights EU concerns over rule-of-law violations in a member state and potential breaches of democratic standards.
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