Politico: Revoking Hungary's voting rights in the EU is no longer unthinkable

(Patria) - After years of a "soft approach" to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, European diplomats are signaling that the so-called nuclear option - revoking Budapest's voting rights in the EU is no longer unthinkable, should Hungary attempt to block the 50 billion euro aid to Ukraine again next week.

Five European officials and diplomats said that EU member states are ready to take this step, which would be a historic move for a community that relies on cohesion and unanimity, writes Politico.

"If Orban blocks the 50 billion euro budget agreement for Ukraine again at the February summit, activating Article 7 to revoke Hungary's voting rights could become a real option," said one EU diplomat.

Orban blocked the EU's decision to send aid to Ukraine in December, saying at the time that he would be willing to lift the veto only if Brussels unblocks Hungary's frozen funds due to rule of law violations.

For years, the European Union has tried to prevent the collapse of the rule of law in Hungary by withholding financial resources, and Orban, in return, has used his veto power on several occasions.

"It is clear that the heads of state and government are fed up with Orban. It's time for him to realize that the threat of activating Article 7 now really exists," stated Professor of European Politics Steven Van Hecke.

The problem could be that some Central and Eastern European countries are afraid of invoking Article 7, as they worry that they might face similar scrutiny of the rule of law at home in the future, several diplomats told Politico.