The Article 7(1) TEU procedure against Hungary was launched by the European Parliament in 2018 to assess whether there is a clear risk of a serious breach of the Union’s fundamental values. Since then, the government has continued to dismantle checks and balances, centralise power, and undermine fundamental rights and the rule of law. Although several Council hearings have been held, no recommendations have been adopted to address these concerns.

In parallel, the EU has used additional tools to protect its legal order and budget: the conditionality mechanism, infringement procedures, the assessment of horizontal enabling conditions, and milestones under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. These measures set requirements on anti-corruption safeguards, judicial independence, and fundamental rights as conditions for Hungary’s access to EU funds. While they prompted some legislative changes, implementation has been incomplete and often merely formal. Many Commission recommendations remain unaddressed, and Hungary continues to ignore an increasing number of judgments by the CJEU and the ECtHR.

These trends unfold against the backdrop of captured institutions and media, the non-execution of court judgments, growing restrictions on civil society, and a prolonged state of danger that has entrenched rule-by-decree and weakened democratic oversight. Recent changes to electoral rules and key appointments have further deepened structural imbalances.

This paper, prepared by nine independent Hungarian civil society organisations, highlights key developments over the past year, priority concerns, and urgent recommendations for the Council to raise with the Hungarian government in the framework of the Article 7(1) procedure.