Safeguarding values in the European Union: The European Parliament, Article 7 and Hungary

The recent constitutional crisis in Hungary and other political developments in several EU member states have raised concerns over the capacity of the European Union to safeguard its fundamental values: democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Mechanisms in the hands of the institutions are considered to be weak and ineffective, especially if compared to those used during the process of accession of candidate countries. Several proposals to strengthen the current system have been presented. The paper analyzes the role of the European Parliament in this context, looking at whether and how it is involved in existing mechanisms, and how it has used its powers during the Hungarian crisis. The paper concludes that the Parliament, as the most democratic and representative EU institution, has a crucial role to play in order to ensure the legitimacy of EU’s action to safeguard fundamental values in the Member States.