The majority of EU countries want the European Commission to crack down on Hungary over Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s plan to ban upcoming Pride celebrations in Budapest, according to a joint statement seen by POLITICO.

The move piles pressure on the Commission to penalize Budapest, just as EU diplomats warn of increasing momentum to deploy the “nuclear option” against Hungary over its obstructionism on Ukraine.

In the statement, which was coordinated by the Dutch foreign ministry, 14 countries call on Brussels to “expeditiously make full use of the rule of law toolbox at its disposal” to make Budapest relent on its Pride ban.

“We are highly alarmed by these developments,” reads the letter, signed by Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden.

A series of Hungarian laws which threaten fines against organizers of and participants in LGBTQ+ events, under the guise of child protection, “run contrary to the fundamental values to human dignity, freedom, equality and respect for human rights as laid down in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union,” the statement reads.

The text doesn’t spell out which measures Brussels should take. The obvious option, though, would be to impose so-called “interim measures” against Hungary, which are tantamount to EU legal injunctions against a government to prevent harm, in this case by ordering Budapest to allow the Pride celebration.

Brussels, which is withholding €18 billion in EU funds from Hungary over rule-of-law violations, has so far balked at further coercive action. Equality Commissioner Hadja Lahbib pushed back on the idea of imposing interim measures during a meeting last week, according to a participant. A failure to implement the measures could then trigger penalties.

Lahbib told the lawmakers she lacked support from her boss, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, for further action.

A Commission spokesperson declined to comment on the report.

A spokesperson for the Hungarian Permanent Representation in Brussels did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The nuclear option

The statement piles pressure on von der Leyen to go further at a time when EU officials and diplomats report a change in the mood toward Hungary.

“Frustration toward Hungary has been building massively,” said one EU official, referring to Budapest’s refusal to approve any EU aid to Ukraine. “If there’s an existential threat at our borders, how long are you going to put up with that?”

Ahead of a gathering of the EU’s General Affairs Council on Tuesday, Swedish Europe Minister Jessica Rosencrantz told POLITICO that patience with Hungary was running out.

“After seven years and seven hearings, we are at a crossroads,” she said. “Unless we see a completely new Hungarian approach at today’s meeting, I see no point in continuing these hearings. It’s high time we get serious about next steps.”

Another EU official said momentum was building in capitals to use the nuclear option — stripping Hungary of its voting rights in the European Council via so-called Article 7 proceedings. In order to do so, a four-fifths majority of EU countries would first need to vote that Budapest has violated the EU treaty. Then, 26 countries (all EU members minus the one targeted) would need to vote on stripping Budapest of voting rights on matters like foreign policy or EU enlargement.

The second official stated that at least 19 countries currently support moving forward with Article 7 proceedings, three short of the number needed to pass the first threshold. Two diplomats said that the greater challenge was the next step, requiring 26 countries in favor.

Achieving such a majority would require the full commitment of both Paris and Berlin.

“You only want to hit that button when you know you’re going to win,” said one of the two diplomats. So you need to have Paris and Berlin fully on board. Someone needs to call Robert Fico” — the prime minister of Slovakia, who could be expected to back Hungary.

Currently, France and Germany are on the fence, with neither country signing the statement. But that could still change, both diplomats underscored, pointing to the German government’s coalition deal, which calls for dealing with rule-of-law problems in the bloc.

“They are looking at each other to see who’s going to blink first,” said the second diplomat.

Csongor Körömi contributed reporting.