PM Viktor Orbán takes EU’s Article 7 seriously as Hungary’s sovereignty laws trigger alarm

In Hungary, the creation of the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty and the Transparency Act has raised serious concerns. Under the draft law, the government led by PM Viktor Orbán could label not only foreign-funded NGOs, but even those using EU funds, as ‘threatening sovereignty’, depriving them of tax benefits and confiscating their documents. European journalists have sent a joint letter protesting against the law, urging the EU to take action against Hungary.

For Orbán, the progress of the EU’s Article 7 rule of law procedure is a serious threat: if it leads to the suspension of voting rights, it could even put Hungary’s EU membership in question. Fidesz has so far formed a blocking coalition with countries such as Austria and Slovakia, which would be willing to secretly vote against Orbán. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico remains the most important ally, but Fico’s political position has also been shaken. Orbán’s support for far-right, pro-Russian George Simion in the Romanian elections could jeopardise Orbán’s plans.

Viktor Orbán and the EU’s Article 7

According to VSquare, Viktor Orbán and his government are under increasing domestic and foreign policy pressure. The EU’s Article 7 procedure, which could lead to Hungary’s voting rights being suspended, is now a real threat, not just political theatre for Orbán. In particular, he fears that the 2026 elections could turn into a referendum on Hungary’s EU membership. If the EU adopts sanctions against Hungary, this could reinforce the “Huxit” narrative, which could be emphasised by Fidesz’s opposition. Orbán is therefore trying to block EU decisions by all means, but as we mentioned earlier, his former allies have wavered, and some have already indicated that they would be willing to support the use of Article 7.