Four out of five Finnish MEPs want to suspend Hungary’s EU Council Presidency | Yle News

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to launch his country’s term as head of the EU Council.

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Hungary took over the six-month EU Council Presidency at the beginning of July. Since then, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban took the opportunity to meet the Russian President Wladimir Putin and former US President and current candidate Donald Trump.

In the new EU Parliament, which met for its first session on Tuesday, there is already an initiative to deprive Hungary of voting rights at meetings of the Council of the European Union for a limited period.

Yle asked Finnish MEPs whether the Hungarian presidency should be suspended, to which 12 answered “yes”.

Member of the European Parliament for the Centre Party Katri Kulmuni replied that she could not say and Elsi Katainen (Cen) and Henna Virkkunen (NCP) said that Hungary should not be suspended.

“Orbán’s arbitrary move to negotiate directly with Russia and China is a shameless middle finger to other member states. His credibility immediately sank to zero,” said the newly elected MEP. Sebastian Tynkkynen (Finns) told Yle.

“His isolated communication is nothing more than a cover for his own interests,” Anna-Maja Henriksson (SPP) said Yle.

“Waste of six months”

“Hungary’s behaviour shows a complete disregard for common values ​​and rules of the game. This is a waste of six months, because Hungary’s chances of achieving anything are slim,” Pekka Toveri (NCP) said.

“We should urgently take up the proposal to deprive Hungary of its voting rights,” said Li Andersson (Left).

“Hungary should be stripped of its presidency, its voting rights in the Council and EU subsidies frozen,” said Salla Aura (NCP).

Additionally, Maria Ohisalo (Greens), Eero Heinäluoma (SDP), Pekka Toveri (NCP) and Elsi Katainen (Cen) said that in some areas, such as security policy, there should be a move from unanimous decision-making to qualified majority voting.

This would prevent Hungary or another Member State from unilaterally blocking EU decisions.

Henna Virkkunen, Finland’s candidate for EU Commissioner, was one of the few dissenting voices among Finnish MEPs. Virkkunen added that she hoped Hungary would act in a way that respected all member states.

“Suspension of the Council Presidency would be an extreme measure, the likes of which have never been seen before. Member States have conveyed their views to Hungary so that it can continue to represent the Council’s position in a fair manner,” Virkkunen said.

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