Urmas Paet ⟩ Hungary's right to vote in the European Union must be suspended

Urmas Paet Photo: Mihkel Maripuu

Urmas Paet, deputy chairman of the European Parliament's committee on foreign affairs, said at meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola that considering the recent visits of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to Russia and China, which are contrary to the European Union's (EU) common foreign policy, Hungary's EU presidency must be terminated and the procedure to suspend Hungary's right to vote in the EU must be completed.

«There is no justification for Orbán's solo meetings with the leaders of Russia and China,» Paet said. «With such moves, he is breaking the unity of both the EU and NATO. Orbán only represented himself in Moscow and Beijing and these visits are in direct contradiction to the EU's common foreign and security policy,» he added.

Paet said that considering also the violation of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary, Article 7 of the EU Treaty must be implemented and Hungary's right to vote in the EU must be suspended. It is also not right that Hungary continues to hold the EU presidency.

Paet added that the European Parliament must also take a position on this issue as soon as possible.