European Parliamentarian invokes Article 7 of EU Treaty in bid to suspend Hungary’s voting rights

Petri Sarvamaa, a Finnish European Parliament member, launched the petition following Hungary’s disruptive actions at the EU leaders’ summit in December, he reported on X (Twitter) on Jan. 9.

Such a procedure has never been tried, leading Sarvamaa to label the move “historic”.

Article 7 of the EU Treaty allows for the possibility of suspending EU membership rights, particularly voting rights in the EU Council, if a country "seriously and persistently" violates the bloc's fundamental principles.

The petition's text argues that depriving Hungary of its voting rights is necessary to "protect the values of the EU," Sarvamaa said,

"It's time for the European Parliament to act."

The MEP added that the petition could be signed by Friday, after which it would be sent to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

The leaders of the European Union, with 26 votes in favor, supported initiating negotiations on Ukraine's EU membership on Dec. 14, despite concerns that Hungary would block the decision.