Ongoing hearings under Article 7(1) TEU regarding Poland and Hungary: MEPs debate (part 1/2)

MEPs quiz the Council and the Commission about their response so far to the democratic backslide in Hungary and Poland. However, despite the deterioration of the situation in both countries over the last few years, the Council has avoided holding a vote to determine whether there is “a clear risk of a serious breach” of the EU’s common values, the next step in the procedure set out in Article 7. MEPs urge the French Presidency of the Council to move forward, and quiz the Commission on other measures to ensure rule of law is respected.