BRUSSELS

The European Parliament warned on Tuesday that Hungary's rule of law situation continues to "deteriorate," urging direct action under EU law to address persistent breaches.

In a second interim report on the Article 7 procedure, adopted with 415 votes in favor, 193 against and 28 abstentions, MEPs highlighted ongoing threats to judicial independence, electoral integrity, and democratic freedoms in Hungary.

The report criticizes Budapest for revisiting European Court of Justice rulings before implementation, refusing to comply with European Court of Human Rights judgments, and undermining the independence of its National Judicial Council.

"Parliament notes that Hungary’s situation has continued to deteriorate, partly due to the Council's lack of progress in protecting the rule of law, and reiterates Hungary’s transformation into a 'hybrid regime of electoral autocracy,'" the statement said.

The lawmakers called on the European Council to take direct action under the Treaty on European Union.

Parliament further expressed alarm over the increasing use of unlabelled AI-generated political content ahead of the 2026 elections, including deepfake videos linked to the ruling party, which could distort electoral processes and violate EU digital and data protection rules.

The MEPs also urged swift conclusions from the European Commission's investigation into alleged Hungarian espionage targeting EU institutions, stressing that findings must result in tangible consequences.

"The lack of decisive action by the Commission and the Council against Hungary has allowed a continuous erosion of democracy and the rule of law," rapporteur Dutch MEP Tineke Strik said.