Illiberal democracy fails in the European Parliament

By triggering the Article 7 procedure, the European Parliament has made it clear that illiberal democracy is against the core values of the European Union. The Hungarian Helsinki Committee welcomes that the EP has validated, with a two-third majority, the long-standing concerns over the Hungarian political system.

This enables Member State governments to adequately address in the Council the serious and systemic deficiencies threatening the rule of law and democracy in Hungary. This may be the last moment for the EU institutions to send a clear signal to governments that are keen to copy the Hungarian practices of weakening constitutional democracy. The dialogue conducted in the Council serves to protect the rights of Hungarian citizens, and provides a chance for defending democracy both in Hungary and in Europe. In this process, Hungarian society, including the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and all civil society actors will have an important role to play.