Orbán sends a message to Brussels: the EU budget needs the votes of Hungary and Poland

In a joint briefing with Polish Prime Minister Viktor Mateusz Morawiecki, Orbán said that since the EU summit in July, there has been a lack of coherence between the views of member states on crisis management, the next budget of seven years and the bill to protect the finances of the EU. The proposal is still on the agenda, which in any case wants to link the urgent financial question of crisis management with the debate and the question of the rule of law, which is no longer legal but political.

However, Hungary cannot accept the content of the proposal on the table, which seeks to address the economic crisis, the EU’s financial interests and legal issues together, the Hungarian prime minister said, citing a joint statement signed with the prime minister. Polish minister on Thursday. Hungary will not accept a proposal that is unacceptable to Poland. “So in the coming months, in a way that is not unheard of in history, we will fight together again,” he said.

The veto is a legal instrument

Viktor Orbán also spoke about the fact that the big states that want to put pressure on Hungary and their media paint a picture as if the Hungarian veto is the wrong thing to do, while the veto is a legal tool. The EU Treaty establishes this right, which can be exercised in cases where a country feels that its fundamental interests would be harmed by a decision, Orbán said, adding that it not only had the opportunity provided by European law, but also the patriotic duty to avoid such a decision. a decision that worsens the interests of the Hungarians.

The debate on the rule of law on the table would not create the rule of law but that of the majority, and as Hungary has a number of fundamental problems with other EU Member States, in particular migration, national sovereignty, but also On gender issues, it cannot expose Hungary to the risk of a simple majority imposing on the country positions that the Hungarian people cannot accept, explained Viktor Orbán, who said that it should therefore use the veto.

This debate is not resolved with money

He also pointed out that journalists, lawyers, politicians who think that this is an economic issue are wrong, because this debate is not resolved with money. Especially not because the EU really wants to raise the necessary funds to deal with the crisis caused by the coronavirus epidemic, he added, adding that the risk of joint indebtedness also means that if another member state cannot pay its loan, the Hungarians. they must also repay their share.

In short, Hungary will not incur any financial loss even if the European crisis management fund is not created, which is necessary not mainly by Hungary, but by states where public debt is above 100 percent of GDP ” said ours. and well below this level. ” (From the recovery fund, according to the current situation, Hungary would be entitled to approximately € 7.6 billion in grants and an additional € 10 billion in loans at 2018 price levels – ed.)

In describing Hungary’s position, the Prime Minister stated that the political debate on the rule of law and the urgent economic issue of crisis management cannot be linked. Whoever links these two issues is irresponsible because quick economic decisions are needed in times of crisis, he said.

Legislation related to the rule of law is not legally necessary for crisis management, it only came to the table because the European Parliament and some states thought they wanted to solve these two things at the same time, the prime minister said. Orbán, however, pointed out that

This solution is extremely dangerous for the EU

The completely new rule of law mechanism, motivated by arbitrary political decisions, could even lead to the disintegration of the European Union, said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, MTI reported. The Polish Prime Minister considered this solution bad and extremely dangerous for the entire union. It cannot be that secondary law circumvents a fundamental right, that is not the case in our legal system, nor can secondary law in Europe take precedence over fundamental treaties, he argued.

The right of veto is included in the treaties, thus serving the application of their interests. The possibility of a veto is being taken seriously and will have to be applied if the recent EU proposal is not changed, as it is unacceptable, said Mateusz Morawiecki, who said it would also protect his sovereignty and the spirit of the Treaties. Poland and Hungary are working not only on their own behalf, but for the benefit of the EU as a whole, and hopefully they can convince the other countries as well.

He recalled that the coronavirus epidemic was an extraordinary crisis and had dangerous consequences, so it was decided to have a special instrument to help the countries most affected by this crisis. There have been lengthy negotiations on this this summer, and its success has been the success of all of Europe.

The July negotiations were interpreted quite differently

However, according to the Polish Prime Minister, this is now a completely new mechanism. The July talks were interpreted quite differently and the German presidency of the EU did not adapt to what was discussed. He added that he did not know where the new conditionality could lead, but did not want the EU to stray from his path. The union’s 27 member states have a separate legal order and tradition, and this diversity should be valued, he added.

Mateusz Morawiecki emphasized that Poland and Hungary are under attack now, but other countries may be captured tomorrow. The mechanism could be a loophole that could lead to endless debates, he said.

If they have problems, there is the Court of Justice of the European Communities

At the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, pointed out that an action against the rule of political conditionality could jeopardize the seven-year budget of the European Union and the launch of a fund to repair the damage caused by the coronary virus.

The President of the Commission recalled that the July European Council agreed on a long-term budget for the Union and a fund to repair the damage caused by the coronavirus epidemic, as well as the conditions that accompany it. However, in the context of the EP’s enhanced conditionality, two Member States expressed doubts. In his words, it is “difficult to imagine” that someone in Europe is questioned about the agreement. Those who still have doubts have a clear path: they can go to the Court of Justice of the European Union and have the new rules reviewed.

The place of clarification of legal disagreements is the EU court. Millions of Europeans in need cannot be left without an answer or a solution, said von der Leyen, who urged that the matter be resolved as soon as possible.

People are not enthusiastic about the veto

It is worth noting that in both Hungary and Poland, people’s enthusiasm for the threat of vetoing their governments is not constant. In Poland, businessmen and major companies have indicated that they believe that their government’s veto could deprive Poland of PLN 240 billion in aid, which could cause serious economic damage to the country. There is a union without Poland, but there is no Poland without the union, say the businessmen who have asked government officials to change their policies.

Furthermore, a poll conducted on Monday showed that the EU continues to enjoy great popularity among Poles, with over 80 percent still supporting their country’s membership in the EU and unaffected by the Polish veto on conditionality of EU funds. The same survey also found that 44.8 percent of respondents wanted EU funds to be subject to the rule of law, although almost the same number (44.2 percent of respondents) believed otherwise.

When it comes to Hungarians, a very similar picture emerges: previous surveys show that there is also a very high level of support for the EU among Hungarians, with almost three-quarters of the population supporting EU legislation, and Euronews polls recently show that it also turned out that the majority of Hungarians do not agree with the Hungarian government’s veto.