Strasbourg, France: Hungary cannot be called a fully functioning democracy from now on, as members of the European Parliament on Thursday denounced the country as ‘electoral autocracy’.
The country, the lawmaker said, should be considered a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy” in which elections are regularly held but without respecting basic democratic norms, reports Euro News.
“There is increasing consensus among experts that Hungary is no longer a democracy,” the lawmakers said, citing a series of incidents that have in recent years downgraded Hungary’s status.
According to the report, the lawmaker raised concerns about a long list of fundamental rights they believe to be under threat, including the electoral system, the independence of judiciary, privacy, freedom of expression, media pluralism, academic freedom, LGBTIQ rights and the protection of minorities and asylum seekers.
The Parliament “expresses deep regret that the lack of decisive EU action has contributed to a breakdown in democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary, turning the country into a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy,” the interim report read.
The text passed by a wide margin on Thursday: 433 votes in favour, 123 against and 28 abstentions.
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