The EU is increasingly pressing Poland and Hungary to join the budget.



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EU funds should only be paid to countries where the government follows the rule of law and democratic principles, according to 77 percent of just over 24,000 respondents in a survey commissioned by the European Parliament.

Also in Poland and Hungary, the majority of respondents agree. This regardless of whether they sympathize with your government or not.

The results show that the opposition is not between the EU and Poland / Hungary, but rather the criticism is directed at the governments of the countries of the majority of Poles, Hungarians and other EU residents, says Timothy Garton Ash, professor of European Studies at the University of Oxford.

– What is happening now is shocking. The populist governments of Poland and Hungary are holding the entire EU hostage, so they may continue to receive large sums from the EU while undermining two of the most fundamental principles on which the European Union is based, he told Bloomberg News.

States of the founding treaty of the EU how the Union should act against countries suspected of violating fundamental values, such as human rights and the rule of law. Since 2017 (Poland) and 2018 (Hungary), the European Commission has carried out various processes on, among other things, the independence of the judiciary. But legal processes take time, and that is one of the reasons why the European Commission wants the budget to be tied to conditions.

At a summit in July, the EU Heads of State and Government agreed on the budget for the next seven years, as well as a gigantic financial support package to counter the crown crisis, insisting that the state must be respected. of law to protect the financial interests of the Union.

The Hungarian Minister of Justice, Judit Varga.

The Hungarian Minister of Justice, Judit Varga.

Photo: Virginia Mayo

But how this should be in concrete terms has caused Poland and Hungary to lag behind, even though they are heavily reliant on EU funds. In an interview with the Financial Times, Hungary’s Justice Minister Judit Varga claims that the link between EU money and the rule of law is just one way for countries like Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden to punish Hungary for being against migration, multiculturalism and emphasizing the importance of the family in society.

From the Polish side they speak instead that the so-called mechanism of the rule of law linked to the budget is legally uncertain.

– We have heard that concern before and clarified the proposal, but perhaps more clarification is needed, Vera Jourová, EU Commissioner for Legal Affairs, said at a seminar on Friday.

According to her, intensive diplomatic contacts are taking place to quickly reach a solution.

Vera Jourová, EU Commissioner for Justice.

Vera Jourová, EU Commissioner for Justice.

Photo: Darko Vojinovic

For the long-term budget to go into effect on January 1, countries must agree. Germany is currently chairing the EU and Angela Merkel therefore plays a crucial role.

“My biggest concern is that the mechanism for the rule of law, which is already weaker than what the European Commission proposed, will be further diluted,” Timothy Garton Ash told Bloomberg.

On the other hand, the European Parliament and several EU heads of government, including Stefan Löfven, have said that they refuse to engage further.

Regarding the crown’s support, other EU countries have started planning so-called in-depth cooperation. This means that the multi-million dollar package can be designed for 25 EU countries, excluding Poland and Hungary. An EU diplomat calls it “the nuclear option”, a move that no one really wants, but which increases the pressure on the two countries.

Read more. Löfven on the EU budget battle: we need a quick decision

Read more: Tough battle for EU money: Crown fund risks lagging behind

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