The European Union could end its long-running Article 7 procedure against Hungary following the country’s recent change of government, in a move that reeks of political bias in Brussels.
Manfred Weber, the leader of the European Parliament’s largest political party, the centre-right-liberal European People’s Party (EPP), has indicated that the process—launched in 2018 over alleged breaches of EU values—should now be brought to an end.
The development comes just weeks after the electoral defeat of conservative Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and the emergence of a new leadership under Péter Magyar, whose Tisza Party belongs to the EPP.
Weber said that the procedure was “concretely linked” to Orbán’s “anti-rule-of-law course” and that the incoming government represents a clear commitment to European “values” and the rule of law.
This reasoning raises serious doubts about the credibility of the EU’s most powerful rule-of-law instrument—according to Weber, concrete steps aren’t necessary, mere “commitment” is enough.
Article 7, often described as the bloc’s “nuclear option,” allows for sanctions against member states deemed to be persistently breaching fundamental values such as democracy, human rights, and judicial independence. In theory, it could even result in the suspension of a member state’s voting rights.
Hungarian officials have long argued that the procedure was never a neutral legal process, but rather a tool used to target governments that diverge from Brussels’ liberal agenda, particularly on issues such as migration and national sovereignty.
The apparent readiness to abandon the procedure without concrete legislative reforms is likely to reinforce those claims.
The precedent set by Poland is a clear example: after years of dispute with a conservative government, the European Commission withdrew its Article 7 procedure in 2024 and began unfreezing billions in EU funds once Donald Tusk and a more Brussels-aligned government took office—despite reforms being only promised and not yetat all implemented.
The fact that Péter Magyar’s party is affiliated with Manfred Weber’s group implies that party politics, not actual legal reforms, are driving the EU’s decision-making.
If the Article 7 procedure can be effectively switched on and off depending on electoral outcomes, its status as an impartial guardian of European values is called into question.
