Denmark is continuing its campaign against Hungary and is calling on the European Union to take stronger legal action against Budapest for what it says are ongoing violations of the EU’s core values.
“We are still seeing a violation of fundamental values,” Danish European Affairs Minister Marie Bjerre told reporters on Thursday, July 3. “That is why we will continue the Article 7 procedure and the hearing on Hungary.”
Article 7 of the EU treaty allows member states to punish or even suspend the voting rights of another member country found to have broken important EU rules.
Bjerre also said the EU should consider cutting off funding. She said the bloc should “look into restricting access to EU funds for countries that violate European law.”
Hungary has been blocking Ukraine’s membership bid, citing alleged mistreatment of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine. Denmark, however, has criticized the move, with Bjerre emphasizing Copenhagen’s willingness to consider “all political and practical solutions” to move enlargement forward. If Article 7 procedures were escalated, Hungary could potentially lose its voting rights on matters such as enlargement, though this would require broad support from other EU member states.
Bjerre stressed Denmark’s readiness to consider “all political and practical solutions for us to move forward.”
