EU Rule-Of-Law Commissioner Praises Hungary

EU Commissioner for Justice and the Rule of Law Michael McGrath expressed appreciation in Luxembourg on Tuesday for the "significant progress" made in restoring the rule of law and for the "excellent cooperation" between the Hungarian government and the institutions of the European Union.

Ahead of the meeting of the EU member states' European affairs ministers, Michael McGrath, while acknowledging the results achieved in restoring the rule of law in Hungary, also said that only a few months had passed since the new government took office and there was "still work to be done".

He said he was looking forward to the chance to reaffirm the European Commission's commitment to working with the Hungarian government to fully restore the rule of law in Hungary, in the interest of its people.

The Article 7 procedure launched against Hungary for endangering the EU's fundamental values is on the ministers' agenda, he said.

The procedure was triggered by the European Parliament (EP) in 2018, so it is for the EP to decide whether to withdraw it, he said, explaining that the Council of the European Union could also decide to close its discussions on the case. It is not the Commission's role to call for the Article 7 procedure to be ended on its own initiative; its role in the proceedings is to assess the current situation.

"We are here to provide an analysis of the rule-of-law situation, and we will continue to do so in the future," the Commissioner said.

Article 7 of the EU Treaties allows for a multi-stage procedure which, in the event of a serious and persistent breach of the EU's fundamental values, can ultimately go as far as suspending the voting rights of the member state concerned, with the unanimous support of all the other member states.