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AFP
Strasbourg, France
The European Parliament on Wednesday launched an action that could unleash unprecedented political sanctions against Viktor Orban's populist Hungarian government for posing a"systemic threat"to the EU's founding values.
The vote amounts to a stunning political blow for Prime Minister Orban, who had told the parliament on Tuesday that a scathing report leading to the vote was an insult to Hungary's honour and people.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wasted little time in slamming the vote as"nothing less than the petty revenge of pro-immigration politicians".
With elections for a new parliament in May 2019, the vote reflects growing pushback among traditional parties in Europe against the rise of populists, who oppose migration and are accused of undermining the rule of law.
Adopted by 448 votes for to 197 against and with 48 abstentions, the motion marked the first time the parliament has itself initiated steps under Article Seven of the European Union's treaty.
An earlier action against Poland was initiated by the EU executive.
Dutch Greens MEP Judith Sargentini, who spearheaded the vote, smiled broadly and breathed a sigh of relief before embracing her supporters in parliament in the French city of Strasbourg.
"It is a positive sign of this parliament taking responsibility and wanting action,"Sargentini told a press conference afterward. She had urged colleagues not to let Hungary off the hook, declaring that Orban's rule"violates the values on which this union was built."
The vote was based on a report that voiced concerns about judicial independence, corruption, freedom of expression, academic freedom, religious freedom, and the rights of minorities and refugees under eight years of Orban rule.
The vote takes the first steps under Article 7 of the EU Treaty, known by some in Brussels as the"nuclear option", which could ultimately strip Hungary of its EU voting rights.
Other EU governments could halt any further action, however, and Poland has warned it would do so.
In a brief speech to parliament on Tuesday, Orban vowed that Hungary would resist any attempt to"blackmail"it into softening its anti-migrant stance, which he charged was the motive behind the vote. Though defiant, he was resigned to the outcome, saying the parliament seemed to have already made up its mind.
"Hungary will protect its borders, stop illegal migration and defend its rights,"said Orban, who embraces a vision of a Christian Europe and opposes an influx of Muslims and others.
Opposition to Orban's vision does not just come from the left, with disquiet also in the main centre-right parliamentary group, the European People's Party (EPP).
The EPP's leader, Manfred Weber, said he would vote in favour of the motion targeting Orban's government, whose Fidesz party belongs to his grouping.
