Finnish members of the European Parliament have bluntly criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's repeated deviations from EU policies. Hungary has held the 27-nation bloc’s rotating presidency for just over a month.
The Hungarian term began with Orbán visiting Russia, China and Ukraine on a purported peace mission that was unauthorised by the EU.
Earlier, Hungary sought to block EU support for Ukraine as well as Finland’s and Sweden’s Nato membership bids, which came in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
Hungary is the largest net recipient of EU cash, so the freezing of funds has so far been the EU's main tool to bring Budapest into line with the rest of the Union.
Finnish MEPs from across the political spectrum interviewed by Yle called for tougher measures against Hungary, which is seen as a loose cannon. It holds the presidency until December.
Maria Ohisalo (Green) and Sebastian Tynkkynen (Finns) said that Hungary's right to vote in the European Council should be suspended.
"Hungary has shown that it is not committed to [our] common values and rules of the game. This should be a good enough incentive for the member states to introduce Article 7 of the EU Treaty, which enables the removal of Hungary's right to vote in the Council," Ohisalo told Yle.
According to Article 7, EU membership and participation in its activities depend on respect for fundamental values and that serious and persistent violations of them may be subject to sanctions.
It says that membership rights, such as voting rights in the European Council, may be suspended "if a country seriously and persistently breaches the principles on which the EU is founded…[including] respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights.
Ohisalo welcomed the decision by the Commission and several member states to boycott meetings hosted by the Hungarian Presidency.
"Now we are discussing whether we will invite Hungarian ministers to testify before committees; I would personally rule them out," said Ohisalo, a former interior minister.
In her opinion, in the longer term, the EU needs to reform its decision-making procedure and increase qualified majority decisions, so that one member state is not able to "hold others hostage with its vote".
“Receiving EU funds should also be tied even more strongly to compliance with the rule of law and common values," Ohisalo argued.
Tynkkynen condemns Orbán's visits to China and Russia.
“Orbán's rude visit to Putin at the start of Hungary's EU presidency was completely reprehensible, and Orbán in no way represented the common line of the other member states or the EU during his trip," Tynkkynen said.
In his opinion, Hungary's delay in supporting Ukraine endangers the security of the whole of Europe.
"In the same way, Hungary played around at the expense of European security when it unjustifiably blocked the Nato membership of Finland and Sweden," Tynkkynen noted.
"EU presidency should be suspended"
MEP and ex-finance minister Eero Heinäluoma (SDP) condemns Hungary's actions.
"Hungary's current leadership is clearly not committed to the common values and principles of the Union. Orbán's solo moves endanger the credibility of the Union's foreign policy and the results of the Union's activities in the world," he said.
He demanded that other EU countries react forcefully to Hungary's undemocratic development and its self-serving actions within the EU.
"These reactions should include denying Hungary the right to vote, halting its EU grants and reviewing Hungary's status as part of the Schengen zone," Heinäluoma said.
"The problems of Hungary's presidency are visible to all. Finland should raise the matter now and propose suspending its presidency."
Heinäluoma said that he has proposed to the leadership of his own S&D Group that the EU Parliament should evaluate Hungary's activities and clarify the Parliament's position on Hungary's activities at its September plenary session.
"Hungary's actions have exceeded all possible limits of suitability related to EU membership," he said, citing "violations of the rule of law, persecution of the opposition, obstruction of joint EU foreign policy decisions, hampering support for Ukraine, and issuing Schengen visas for Belarusians and Russians."
Hungary has been issuing fast-tracked "national cards" to Russian and Belarusian citizens since early July, DW reports. Cardholders can visit any country in the 29-nation Schengen area for up to 90 days, without having to apply a Schengen visa, but Schengen states can refuse entry.
Express visa for Russians
In Ohisalo's opinion, EU states should not be allowed to grant express visas to Russians, as Hungary is now doing. In her view, the Commission must urgently investigate Hungary's express visa practices.
Tynkkynen also highlighted problems with the express visa, saying they could "open the gates for Russian spies".
"If necessary, Hungary should be excluded from the Schengen area and checkpoints could be set up at its EU borders in order to guarantee the security of Europe," Tynkkynen said.
Centre MEP Katri Kulmuni approves of the sanctions that the EU has so far placed on Hungary, and plans to support likely future sanctions.
"If [a member state] takes actions that are clearly against the rules, there are sanctions and procedures for that. But at the end of the day, it's a question of the Hungarian people and when they will get tired of Orbán's rule," said Kulmuni.
In July, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP) questioned whether the EU is the right place for Hungary.
However, Kulmuni does not think that Hungary should be kicked out of the EU.
"Orbán is clearly just trying to annoy his EU partners," said the former finance minister.
In late July, Valtonen told Yle News that Hungary may face unspecified EU "measures" over its unauthorised foreign policy moves.
