MEPs support petition to deprive Orban of right to vote
Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (facebook.com/orbanviktor)
The European Parliament has amassed the necessary number of signatures, specifically 120, under a petition aimed at stripping Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban of his voting rights in the EU Council, writes Petri Sarvamaa, a Member of the European Parliament and the initiator of the petition, on X.
It took four days to collect the required signatures, as the collection campaign in the European Parliament was announced on Tuesday of this week.
"Signatures collected! We are one step closer to withdraw Orban’s voting rights," the MEP wrote on Friday, January 12.
He noted that the response from colleagues to this "historical petition" has been powerful. Representatives from various parties and several countries have signed the document.
Petition in European Parliament calls for stripping Hungarian PM of voting rights in EU Council (photo: twitter.com/petrisarvamaa)
What's next
According to Sarvamaa, it is now crucial to promptly assess the final overall support for the petition during the plenary session of the European Parliament. He suggested that this could happen next week when the parliament is set to vote on a resolution regarding Hungary.
The MEP also added that the content of the resolution is currently under negotiation, and he considers it " very possible" that the procedure outlined in Article 7(2) of the Treaty on European Union will be included "in some form."
Blocking EU Aid to Ukraine by Budapest
Recall that in December 2023, the Financial Times reported that EU member states were considering the possibility of depriving Hungary of its voting rights to approve a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine for the years 2024-2027.
The issue revolves around the need for unanimous agreement from all EU member countries to approve the decision to create the Ukrainian Fund. However, during the last meeting, Hungary exercised its veto power. As previously stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, the EU will eventually approve the funding with or without Budapest's consent.
Recently, Politico reported that Hungary is willing to compromise on aid to Ukraine on the condition that the financing is reviewed annually. Yesterday, FT informed that Brussels is prepared to make concessions to Hungary to secure approval for the €50 billion aid decision for Ukraine.
Earlier today, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, stated that the European Union must find a solution regarding the extension of financial support for Ukraine at an extraordinary summit of the EU Council.
