The European Commission has launched legal action against Hungary for its recent enactment of laws on “protecting national sovereignty”, Ednews reports referring to Al Jazeera.
The European Union executive said on Wednesday that it has sent a formal notice to Budapest informing it that the legislation violates the bloc’s democratic values and fundamental rights. Opponents of Prime Minster Viktor Orban’s authoritarian regime claim the new laws threaten to stifle his political rivals, as well as critical media and civil society.
The Commission said that the law violates a wide range of fundamental values, including the principle of democracy, the right to privacy, protection of personal data, freedom of expression, information and association, and the right to a fair trial, among others.
“The setup of a new authority with wide-ranging powers and a strict regime of monitoring, enforcement and sanctioning also risks to seriously harm democracy,” a Commission spokesperson said.
Hungary will have two months to respond. The letter of formal notice is the first step under the EU’s infringement procedure, which can lead to a lawsuit in the EU’s Court of Justice and potentially fines.
