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EU states outnumber Hungary and Poland in legal dispute
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (left) and his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki
Quelle: dpa / Czarek Sokolowski
A large majority of EU states agreed, on a German proposal, that countries like Poland or Hungary can reduce EU funds if the rule of law is violated. In fact, in some countries it doesn’t go far enough.
meMost of the EU states, despite threats from Hungary and Poland, initiated proceedings to punish violations of the rule of law within the Union. A corresponding proposal from the German Presidency of the Council of the EU received necessary support in Brussels on Wednesday, according to a spokesperson.
Negotiations with the European Parliament can now begin. In these, the planned procedure is likely to be readjusted. Several MEPs had recently described the proposal of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU as too cautious.
Wednesday’s majority decision is explosive as Hungary and Poland threaten to block important EU decisions on the EU budget in the long run if the new rule of law mechanism is introduced. This could mean, for example, that Corona’s planned economic stimulus program cannot start.
The proposal of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU provides, among other things, to allow cuts in EU financial assistance if violations of the rule of law have a “sufficiently direct impact” on the budgetary management and financial interests of the Union.
Signs of “cowardice and unprincipled”
Indeed, the EU Commission has proposed that sanctions should be possible when the lack of the rule of law threatens to undermine the basic requirements for sound financial management.
However, in the opinion of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU, it would have violated a decision of the July EU summit to adhere to it. There, the heads of state and government of the member states had stipulated that sanctions should only be possible “in case of violations”.
The intended weakening of the planned mechanism was recently harshly criticized within the ranks of the European Parliament. MEPs described the proposal presented by the German Presidency of the Council of the EU earlier this week as a sign of “cowardice and lack of principle”.
It also doesn’t go far enough for the governments of the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium. However, they were unable to block it on Wednesday in the committee of permanent representatives of member states, as were Hungary and Poland.
