Fidesz: Brussels is blackmailing us

An MEP of ruling Fidesz rejected what he called “political blackmail” from Brussels, pledging that Hungary would maintain its pro-peace stance, in response to European Commissioner Didier Reynders, who said the Article 7 procedure against the country would stay active “until all issues are resolved”.

Brussels’ “blackmail”

At the European Parliament’s plenary debate on the state of the rule of law in Hungary, Justice Commissioner Reynders cited EC President Ursula von der Leyen as saying that access to EU funding must come together with respect for the values connecting the EU.

MEP Tamás Deutsch said Hungary would remain pro-peace, “no matter how much it irks Brussels bureaucrats”. “We need immediate ceasefire and peace talks, and not the mindless funding of the war in Ukraine,” he added.

“No matter the machinations in Brussels,” Hungarians will decide for themselves who they want to allow to live in their country, he said. “We reject illegal migration and will protect our borders. We will protect our freedom and national sovereignty, even if they hold debates on Hungary every week and issue resolutions against Hungary every month,” he said.

At the debate, Reynders said Hungary had kept its promise to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and to curb political influence in the sectors, which opened the way “to the access to certain cohesion funds.” At the same time, the EC is ready to defend its December resolution on the access to cohesion funds, even before European courts, he said.