European Parliament votes to censure Hungary over anti-democratic shift

European Union lawmakers voted on Wednesday to launch action against the Hungarian government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban for allegedly undermining the bloc's democratic values and rule of law. Hungary called the vote fraudulent and vowed to challenge it.

The lawmakers voted 448-197 in favour of a report recommending the launch of a so-called Article 7 procedure, which could lead to the suspension of Hungary's European Union voting rights.

It is the first time in EU history that the European Parliament had initiated and approved such a motion, which needed a two-thirds majority to pass and was approved by 69.4 per cent of the lawmakers.

The parliament's vote means the other EU states must now look at what to do with Hungary. The most severe punishment under the Article 7 procedure is stripping Hungary of its voting rights in the EU.

However, that is highly unlikely to happen as the rest of the EU needs unanimity, and Poland's nationalist and anti-immigration government is expected to block any tough action against Orban. The European Commission launched Article 7 proceedings against Poland last year that have yet to reach the European Parliament.

With Britain scheduled to leave the bloc altogether in March and Europeans voting in European Parliament elections in May, the rows over Hungary and Poland highlight tensions between nationalist and federalist camps.

'The Hungarian people deserve better'

The 197 votes cast against parliament's bid illustrate the substantial minority of European opinion who see Orban as a crusader for the rights of nation states and ethnic majorities against rules of civic behaviour agreed on by the EU in Brussels.

Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilder on social media called the results a "bloody shame" and Orban "a hero who deserves the Nobel Prize."

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, echoing Orban's longtime position, called the result "petty revenge" against Hungary for its tough anti-migration policies.

He also claimed that the vote involved "massive fraud" since abstentions weren't counted into the final tally, which made it easier to reach the needed majority.

There were 48 abstentions, so the 448 in favour exceeded the two-thirds needed only because it was based on 645 votes. If the abstentions were counted into the final tally, there would have been a total 693 votes, so the 448 in favour wouldn't have reached two-thirds.

Szijjarto said Hungary was considering legal options to appeal the result because of the way the vote was tallied.

But Judith Sargentini, who presented the report prepared by the European Parliament's committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs, welcomed the outcome.

"Viktor Orban's government has been leading the charge against European values by silencing independent media, replacing critical judges, and putting academia on a leash," Sargentini said. "The Hungarian people deserve better. They deserve freedom of speech, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice and equality, all of which are enshrined in the European treaties.

"This is a historic result for Hungarian citizens and for European citizens everywhere, that the European Parliament has voted by a large majority to stand up for the values we all hold dear."

Orban didn't address concerns: Germany's Weber

The move saw some members of the European People's Party bloc — of which Orban's Fidesz movement is a member — vote against their ally in Budapest.

Even EPP leader Manfred Weber, who earlier was supportive of Orban and is seeking to become the European Commission president next year, said he had voted for triggering Article 7.

"I have always been in favour of building bridges and I want to continue to do so, but yesterday [Tuesday] I didn't see any readiness from the Hungarian PM to make a move towards his EU partners and address our concerns," Weber tweeted.

Orban has for years deflected much of the international condemnation of Hungary's electoral system, media freedoms, independence of the judiciary, mistreatment of asylum-seekers and refugees and limits on the functioning of non-governmental organizations.

Weber had called on Orban to show a willingness to compromise on some of the most high-profile issues — like an agreement being delayed by the Hungarian government for the Central European University, founded by George Soros, Orban's ideological opponent, to remain in Budapest and recent laws criminalizing the work of civic groups working with asylum-seekers and refugees. But Orban remained steadfast that his policies wouldn't change.

"I have nothing to compromise about since the questions they objected to were decided by the Hungarian people," Orban said Tuesday in Strasbourg, France, after the debate in the European Parliament on the report on Hungary. "There is nothing to talk about."

Orban, who was re-elected in April to his third consecutive term in office, fourth overall, also said Tuesday that he expected lawmakers to approve the motion with the support of some EPP lawmakers.

"The order has arrived from Berlin and they will vote accordingly," Orban said, in reference to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose governing Christian Democratic Union is the largest party in the EPP.

Orban has insisted that all the criticism against his government is based on Hungary's tough anti-immigration policies, which include fences built in 2015 on Hungary's southern borders with Serbian and Croatia to divert the flow of migrants and very restrictive asylum rules. He has also expressed his desire to remain within the EPP, which he said was "deeply divided" on the issue of migration.

With files from Reuters and CBC News