Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Photo: Orbán on Facebook
Politico: EU has five options for dealing with Orbán if he wins elections in Hungary
EU officials are discussing contingency plans in the event that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's party wins the parliamentary elections, with five different options under consideration.
Ukrainska Pravda
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EU officials are discussing contingency plans in the event that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's party wins the parliamentary elections, with five different options under consideration.
Details: One option is to extend the use of qualified majority voting (QMV) to sensitive areas that currently require unanimity, such as foreign policy or certain elements of the EU's long-term budget.
"It is something we are pushing for anyway, regardless of the very concrete case [of Orbán]: If you want to react quickly, you need more decisions taken by QMV," one source commented.
A second option, according to four diplomats, is a shift towards a multi-speed Europe. This would involve wider use of flexible formats, ranging from informal coalitions of the willing to enhanced cooperation among smaller groups of countries.
However, two other diplomats criticised such limited formats, saying they should remain exceptions rather than become the new norm.
Another option is to impose more aggressive sanctions on Hungary, such as withholding EU funds.
President of the European Council António Costa expressed the view that Orbán's blocking of a loan for Ukraine violated Article 4(3) of the EU Treaty, under which member states are obliged to ensure "sincere cooperation".
A senior European Commission official noted that applying Article 4(3) is possible and could lead to financial sanctions.
The option of suspending Hungary's voting rights in the Council of the EU is also being considered. However, suspending one country's voting rights would require the support of the other 27, and Slovakia is unlikely to agree.
The most dramatic and least realistic option is expelling Hungary. No country has ever been expelled from the EU, and the issue remains taboo.
One diplomat referred to a commentary published on a legal blog exploring the possibility of reinterpreting the EU exit clause (Article 50, which the United Kingdom invoked to begin the Brexit process) or other legal workarounds to force Hungary out.
The diplomat noted that this is unrealistic but a good argument, adding that "a few years ago people talked hypothetically about this scenario – now it's doing the rounds again".
Background: On 27 March, Viktor Orbán faced an unusually large number of counter-protesters at an election rally and was forced to raise his voice.
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