The Sargentini report goes beyond the resolution on Poland that the European Parliament adopted in November 2017 since it calls on the European Council to create and execute a formal procedure for dealing with Hungary’s rule of law infractions under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union. The vote reflects a divide within the EU, between those who stress that it is a community of liberal values, and leaders such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has championed the idea of “illiberal democracy.” Broadly speaking, major Western European governments such as France and Germany along with the European Commission are in the former camp while governments in Central and Eastern Europe are in the latter. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, echoing Orban's longtime position that allowed him to win a third consecutive term in April, called the vote "petty revenge" against Hungary for its tough anti-migrant policies. Poland's nationalist and anti-immigration government - against which the EU Commission has slowly enacted Article 7 procedures over the last two years over concerns about the independence of its judiciary - is expected to block any tough action against Orban.
The European Parliament votes 448–197 to trigger article 7 against Hungary for flouting the rule of law in the country.