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AFP
Prime Minister Viktor Orban should defend his country's policy
The European Parliament must discuss the advisability of initiating disciplinary proceedings against Hungary.
MEPs will debate whether the right-wing government poses a serious risk to EU values because of its policies on issues such as migrants.
This comes just months after the European Commission took the initiative to launch similar proceedings against Poland.
However, this is the first time that parliament has attempted to use power, known as Article 7.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is expected to personally fight these claims, brandishing a counter-argumentation of more than 100 pages.
Orban and his party Fidesz said many of the charges against them on rule of law issues had been resolved long ago.
Nick Thorpe, of the BBC in Hungary, says the country's ministers, as well as its pro-government media, are talking about a witch hunt against Fidesz, for defending national sovereignty against what they call the liberal elite.
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Eurosceptic Mr Orban was re-elected earlier this year after campaigning on an anti-immigration platform, with Fidesz winning two-thirds of the parliamentary seats.
Although he enjoys support in his country, critics of the European Parliament say that his policy is proof that he does not respect EU values.
A committee of deputies highlights the Hungarian government's approach to migration – including a new law that criminalizes lawyers and activists who help asylum seekers – as well as the media, courts and universities .
However, for any disciplinary procedure to take place, two-thirds of MEPs must support it – and it is not clear how the vote on Wednesday should fall.
If MEPs decide to support the process, which could lead to a follow-up of Hungary by Brussels, the process could be very slow.
The European Commission took unprecedented action against Poland in December 2017, giving it three months to address its concerns about the threat to the rule of law in its judicial reforms.
However, there is still very little sign that a conclusion is coming, says Adam Fleming, a BBC reporter in Brussels.
