Hungarian-Polish veto: we have a difficult condition in exchange for our support

What is the statement about?

Declaration in English, signed by the two heads of government Hungarian and the Polish the Twitter page of the government spokesperson as a photo and the MTI text as a text almost at the same time. The statement pretty much reiterates the arguments over and over by the Hungarian and Polish governments (most recently in an interview with Viktor Orbán yesterday) that they see that the rule of law mechanism was not a mandate at the EU summer summit, only the development of a mechanism to protect the EU budget. authorized. It is argued that a rule of law mechanism is already established in the EU Treaty (Article 7), a parallel system cannot be established without modifying the EU Treaty, it can only be modified unanimously.

Both the argument and today’s statement mention that instead of unanimous approval, they now want to establish a rule of law mechanism that violates EU law by bypassing some Member States (by qualified majority, at least 15 of the 27 Member States representing at least 65% of the total population). ).

For all these reasons, the declaration signed by the two Heads of Government proposes a two-step process:

1. They will help ensure that the EU budget for 2021-2027 and the recovery fund can start quickly and smoothly, but only if a parallel mechanism is now launched that focuses only on the financial interests of the EU budget. (arguing that the summer budget). In the final declaration of the EU summit, only this term is used anyway). The rule of law mechanism, drawn up by the German Presidency, the European Parliament and the European Commission, which has already obtained the political support of 25 Member States, therefore remains strongly rejected by the two Member States, but opens door to its implementation in the medium term. Furthermore, the first point of today’s joint Hungarian-Polish declaration seeks to demonstrate the commitment of the two governments to the values ​​(e.g. democracy, equality, fundamental human rights) enshrined in Article 2 of the EU Treaty, which de otherwise they would defend. the rule of law mechanism would also be established.
2. As a first step on this path today, Viktor Orbán and Mateusz Morawieczki called for a substantive debate in the Council of Heads of State and Government on whether this rule of law mechanism was really necessary and, if so, whether a decision was made about. Unanimity is already necessary!), An intergovernmental conference will be organized to draft the necessary amendments to the EU Treaty in this regard.

With all this two-step solution proposal it would take a mist of the future the introduction of a rule of law (or similar) mechanism, which the European Parliament, as co-legislator, has been strongly calling for since next January and which has already been politically endorsed by 25 Member States at the ambassadors meeting of the past Monday.

Because of these highly questionable, if the EU community really wants to embark on the path proposed by the Hungarian and Polish prime ministers, which in turn must be approved by these two member states to start the two EU budgets as soon as possible. It cannot be ruled out that the two Heads of Government have now formulated a proposal that they perceive from the beginning with little chance of being adopted, but from the outside it can radiate a constructive dialogue in a heated debate.

By the way, the last sentence of the declaration signed by the two Heads of Government, which seeks to demonstrate that the close cooperation between the two countries on this issue and do not try to share them both, because if one of the emerging proposals does not like one, the other will not accept it.

More details coming soon.

Cover Image Source: Thierry Monasse / Getty Image