The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Wednesday voted to place Hungary under a full monitoring procedure, citing long-standing rule-of-law issues. A country report said the issues cited “remained largely unaddressed”. “The widespread use of cardinal laws, which require two-thirds majorities, severely restricts political pluralism, which is the hallmark of a democratic system”. It added that the current electoral system “does not ensure a level playing field conducive to fair elections”. The assembly also raised concerns about Hungary’s using a special legal order since 2020 and said it “allows the triggering of a state of danger”. Such orders, the assembly said, should be “strictly necessary, proportionate and must be limited in time”. The assembly, at the same time, acknowledged 17 amendments the Hungarian government announced last month, aimed at improving the operations of democratic institutions, increasing transparency and making conflict of interest rules more stringent.