Finnish Christian Democrat MEP launches petition to deprive Hungary of its voting rights in EU Council

Finnish Christian Democrat MEP Petri Sarvamaa has initiated a petition to urge member states to revoke Hungary's voting rights in the European Council, Népszava reports.

The Finnish politician asked for the support of his fellow MEPs in his letter addressed to Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament. Sarvamaa proposed that the EP adopt a resolution calling on the European Commission or the European Council to declare that EU values are being seriously and persistently violated in Hungary.

Sarvamaa believes that the next stages of the Article 7 procedure – which was launched against the Hungarian government due to concerns over rule of law – should be activated in order to protect the values of the European Union. The EP, however, does not have a direct say on the course of the Article 7 proceedings, nor are member states obliged to take into account the Parliament's proposals.

"The EU's decision-making machinery is simply stuck because of Viktor Orbán. The only way to make it work is to deprive Orbán of his right to vote at the Council. At the same time, we can show that no blackmail is allowed in the EU." Sarvamaa said in a statement to Népszava.

In his Twitter post, the MEP added that “It’s now or never. Members have until Friday to co-sign the letter, after which it will be sent to President Metsola.”

Orbán could temporarily be President of the Council

The current President of the European Council, Charles Michel has just announced his intention to stand as a candidate of the Belgian Liberals of the Reformist Movement (MR) in the June European parliamentary elections. If he is elected, once he takes his seat in the European Parliament in mid-July, a new leader will have to be found to head the Council.

Should this process drag out and a new leader is not found in time, the leader of the country holding the rotating presidency of the European Union during the relevant period will become president of the body, and in that six-month period this will be Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán. Although the top post does not actually entail too much power, and the president has more of an organisational, managerial function, Politico reports that the other 26 heads of state and government are "desperate" to avoid Orbán becoming president of the Council.