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Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament (archive image)
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Michael Kappeler / dpa
In the face of Hungary's long-standing opposition to the EU's sixth package of sanctions against Russia, SPD politician Katarina Barley has called for the country's voting rights to be revoked in EU member state decisions.
"Perhaps now" is the moment to "temporarily withdraw Hungary's voting rights," said the Vice President of the EU Parliament on Thursday to the broadcaster MDR Aktuell.
Hungary abuses the principle of unanimity in the EU as a means of blackmail.
The principle of unanimity applies to certain joint decisions of the EU Member States.
Barley pointed out that an EU country could be deprived of the right to vote if it violates common democratic principles.
“Especially in Hungary one can no longer speak of democratic and rule-of-law conditions,” said Barley.
The principle of unanimity comes from “times when the EU consisted of six countries.
Now we're 27," she criticized.
However, the SPD MEP pointed out the difficulty that the unanimity principle could only be lifted with a unanimous decision.
At their summit on Monday, the EU states actually agreed on the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, which includes, among other things, an extensive embargo on Russian oil.
However, the agreement included an exception for oil transported by pipeline, which benefits Hungary.
Because of Hungary's resistance, the EU refrained from imposing sanctions against the Russian Orthodox Church leader, Patriarch Kirill, in a further sanctions package against Russia approved on Thursday.
Kirill maintains close contact with President Vladimir Putin and has so far shown himself to be very loyal to the Kremlin.
However, Hungary did not want to accept the sanctions.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán recently justified his stance "with the question of the freedom of belief of Hungarian religious communities".
This is "sacred and inalienable".
sol/dpa/AFP