EP delegation questions Hungary's rule of law progress after Budapest visit

Sophie Wilmès, who led the civil liberties mission from 26 to 28 October, said questions remain on the judiciary, corruption and media freedom, and no decision has been taken on closing the Article 7 procedure opened in 2018.

A European Parliament civil liberties delegation led by Sophie Wilmès visited Budapest from 26 to 28 October for a rule of law mission. "The contrast with our 2025 visit is striking", she said. Questions remain on judicial independence, corruption, media freedom and rights, and no decision has been taken on closing the Article 7 procedure.

In July, reports said Tisza had won the April 2026 parliamentary elections, ending Orbán's 16-year rule, and that the new government had moved quickly to amend Hungary's Constitution. On 3 October, Fidesz and KDNP MEPs sent a letter to Commissioner Michael McGrath calling the measures a "constitutional coup" and asking the Commission to speak out, after what they called years of loud Brussels attacks and now silence from the Commission.

In a statement after the visit, Wilmès welcomed further measures on the judiciary, anti-corruption, media independence and the repeal of certain discriminatory measures affecting LGBTQI+ people, alongside those already named. She also noted that the delegation's work was not finished. The delegation had no mandate to decide on closing the Article 7 procedure, the EU's mechanism for addressing rule of law breaches, she said. It still had to examine all the information gathered during the visit, she said.

Wilmès said questions remained on judicial independence, the prosecution of high-level corruption, media freedom and fundamental rights. The delegation took no position on these matters, and no decision has been taken on closing the Article 7 procedure, opened in 2018. Strik and Wilmès said its future "remains an open question."

The delegation will present its conclusions to the civil liberties committee, with a plenary debate scheduled for 24 November 2026. On 8 October, Parliament adopted text T10-0342/2026 in single reading under procedure 2026/2868(RSP), with the vote on a resolution to follow in December. On 23 September, the Commission proposed that the Council lift the measures taken in 2022, which would reinstate €4.2 billion of cohesion funding and restore Hungarian access to Erasmus and Horizon Europe. The Council has one month to decide on that proposal.