Brussels poised to step up action on Hungary

"In Hungary's case, it's a conversation that's been waiting to happen for quite some time," says Hugo Brady of the CER. But he said it was highly unlikely that member-states would follow up the European parliament's request to punish Budapest.

"Article 7 was designed as a sort of nuclear option: a tool to intimidate but never to be used. Member-states will be particularly loath to trigger it for fear they could become later targets of the same procedure."