Joint letter to EU Ministers on Hungary ahead of General Affairs Council
In the lead-up to the next EU General Affairs Council, to be held on 9 April 2019, FIDH, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Open Society European Policy Institute, and Reporters without Borders have prepared an open letter urging EU ministers to push for official hearings scrutinising the situation in Hungary and holding Hungary’s government accountable for violating core EU principles.
As rule of law continues to be eroded in Hungary, in parallel with an increasingly hostile and restrictive environment for civil society, academia, and the media, the Hungarian government has shown no signs that it will seriously address the Parliament’s recommendations for improving the situation.
Last September, the European Parliament passed a motion declaring that Hungary risked seriously breaching core EU values. This unprecedented step triggered a disciplinary process under Article 7 procedure. Now it is up to the EU General Affairs Council to take steps to defend fundamental rights, democracy and rule of law in Hungary.
