During a recent session of the European Parliament’s Committees on Budgets and Budgetary Control, members of Hungary’s FIDESZ–KDNP delegation expressed strong concerns about the European Commission’s lack of response to significant constitutional and political changes in Hungary. Hungarian MEPs Tamás Deutsch, Csaba Dömötör, and András László contended that these developments could potentially weaken democratic institutions in the country.
The delegation highlighted a series of issues they believe require the Commission’s urgent attention, including changes to constitutional amendments, limitations on political competition, modifications affecting parliamentary mandates, and the independence of state bodies. They argued that although the Commission has previously voiced concerns over Hungary’s adherence to rule-of-law principles and even withheld EU funding as a result, it has failed to address these recent developments.
FIDESZ–KDNP representatives emphasized the need for the European Commission to clarify its stance on whether the constitutional changes align with the democratic norms upheld by the European Union. They underscored that democratic principles should be uniformly applied to all EU member states, suggesting that the Commission’s silence on these matters could imply inconsistency in its approach to democracy and rule-of-law issues across the bloc.
Despite the gravity of the concerns raised, representatives from the European Commission did not provide detailed responses to the questions posed by the Hungarian lawmakers during the committee meeting. This lack of engagement has prompted further calls from the delegation for the Commission to take a definitive stand and ensure that democratic values are consistently supported and enforced throughout the European Union.