EU gives green light to citizens’ initiative against Hungary

Commenting on a proposed European Citizen’s Initiative to punish Hungary for the alleged violation of basic democratic norms, a conservative columnist thinks that such ‘attacks’ will increase anti-European sentiments in Hungary.

On Tuesday, the European Commission registered a European Citizen’s Initiative proposal aimed at suspending Hungary’s voting rights in the EU by activating Article 7. The initiative was filed by the European Humanist Federation, an umbrella organization of left-liberal secularist groupings throughout Europe. They can now attempt to gather a million signatures in at least seven countries in support of their accusation that the Hungarian government is guilty of antidemocratic and xenophobic measures as well as of the violation of the rule of law.

In Magyar Hírlap, Gyula T. Máté calls the European Humanist Federation’s initiative a pathetic political stunt. The conservative columnist finds it absurd that the European Commission permitted such a proposal, at a time when the EU is facing multiple economic, refugee and geopolitical crises.  Máté suspects that as in the case of previous attempts to punish Hungary for alleged violations of basic democratic norms, the initiative by the left-wing liberal EHF will further increase anti-European sentiments in Hungary rather than weakening PM Orbán’s popularity.

Tags: EU, European Commission