Now is the time to transform the EU before another Orbán

Today, the Greens/EFA Group are releasing our five essential points for EU reform following the Hungarian election results. The EU needs to seize the opportunity and ensure that we will never see another Member State steal EU funds, block decisions and take away people’s rights. 

Bas Eickhout MEP, President of the Greens/EFA Group, comments: 

“The EU needs to learn from its failed response to Orbán’s autocracy and change. The Council and Commission must take action now to future proof our democracies and EU decision-making so that no government is able to blackmail the rest, undermine fundamental rights or dismantle the rule of law ever again.

“Now is the time to change the treaties to end the national veto in the Council and stop the EU being held hostage by the whims of autocrats like Orbán. We need to ensure that the Council has the proper tools to deal with Member States that break EU values and the ability to judge and sanction governments if they attack the rule of law or democracy.

“We need to take stock and we need real change. The EU can’t afford to wait until the next crisis to act."

Terry Reintke MEP, President of the Greens/EFA Group, comments: 

“The EU needs to seize the opportunity of a post-Orbán world and ensure that we will never see another Member State steal EU funds, block EU decisions and take away people’s rights. It’s clear the EU needs to put its money where its mouth is and say no more EU funds to autocrats. 

“The Commission must ensure that no government can use EU money if they breach basic European values. The Commission needs to be much quicker and more proactive in taking Member States to the Court of Justice when they breach EU values. 

“For too many years in Hungary we saw people's rights attacked and undermined based on their identity or ethnicity. We must say no more. The Commission must reform the Charter of Fundamental Rights to ensure that nobody can have their rights taken away again.”

Five essential steps for EU reform post-Orban:

1. End blackmailing: Real EU treaty change that will end the national veto in the Council and stop the EU being held hostage by the whims of autocrats;

2. Arm democracy: Reform the procedure in which Member States judge and sanction their peers for breaching the EU values by dismantling procedural barriers and making majorities easier to reach;/

3. No democracy, no money: Maintain and reinforce democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights conditionality and safeguards covering all EU funds in the next EU long-term budget and beyond as part of the Treaties. The Commission must ensure that no national government can spend EU money while breaching basic European values;

4. Break the law, face the court: Make the Commission quicker and more proactive in bringing Member States to the Court of Justice when they breach EU values;

5. Charter must bind – Commission must act: Reform the Charter of Fundamental Rights to ensure that in the EU, nobody can have their rights taken away again, and that the Commission checks and enforces this in all areas by applying a toolbox of sanctions in case there are breaches and in case of the non-implementation of judgements.