The European Commission’s decision to activate the rule-of-law mechanism against Hungary serves to put pressure on and penalise its government for “daring to envision a conservative nation in Europe,” Andor Deli, an MEP of ruling Fidesz, said on Thursday.
Johannes Hahn, the Commissioner for Budget and Administration, sent a notification letter to Hungary on Wednesday, activating the mechanism linking European Union funding to the rule of law. Vice-President Vera Jourova said in a tweet that the Commission had “identified issues that might be breaching [the rule of law] in HU and affect the EU budget.”
Deli told Hungarian journalists in Brussels that the mechanism “is difficult to understand from a legal or practical point of view”.
European Union institutions “are talking about taking away money Hungary has yet to receive,”
he said.
Weakening Hungary would enfeeble the EU itself, which draws its strength from that of its member states, Deli said. Undermining Hungary also undermines European unity, he added.
The European Parliament’s Committee Economic and Monetary Affairs on Thursday held a closed meeting with the Committee on Budgets and EC members to discuss implementation of the decree on the rule-of-law conditionality. In his address, Deli said the mechanism had been activated because “even in this situation riddled with economic difficulties and war, there are some who want to weaken the strength and unity of Europe.”
The fact that the funds being withdrawn from Hungary are yet to be paid “illustrates the absurdity of the whole procedure,”
Deli said.
At the same time, the Hungarian government remains open to further talks in the hope of finding solutions to the EU’s concerns, he said. “Hungary will, however, not budge on two issues: we will stay out of the war and protect our children,” he said.
Read alsoHungary to lose significant EU funding?
Source: MTI
please make a donation here
Hot news
Top Hungary news: Olympics in Budapest, Russian gas, Hungary’s debt, new Müller store, Prince William as landlord, expensive panel flats – 18 November, 2024
Hungarian FM: Suspending EU-Israel political dialogue ‘would be mistake’
European Commission demands a further EUR 60 million from Hungary
Hungary’s MÁV group to undergo major restructuring
Russian gas supplies to Austria disrupted: Will this threaten Hungary’s gas supply?
Hungarian opposition Jobbik urges health-care finance reform
4 Comments
Withholding of funds has absolutely nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. Why do the government keep on about not sending troops to Ukraine, if we did then we’d be responsible for WWIII. No other country has sent troops to Ukraine. How stupid do Fidesz think we are. They seem to forget we have access to outside independent media and not the propaganda rubbish their state controlled media spout to the brainwashed.
He’s becoming increasingly isolated with other EU member states, even the other V4 members are questioning his loyalties.
How about publishing the EU’s point of view for a change? This one sided reporting is so boring and frankly is not good journalism.
Yeaahh (!) to @ Anonymous.
Viktor Orbán “…cannot fool the people: you may fool people for a time; you can fool a part of the people all the time; but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” – Abraham Lincoln, 1858 in Clinton Illinois
And a (y) to @Naah.
Yes, impartial and fair reporting would be great (it might also increase the number of readers), but most of us know what it’s like for the media in Hungary.
Yeaahh (!) to @ Anonymous.
Viktor Orbán “…cannot fool the people: you may fool people for a time; you can fool a part of the people all the time; but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” – Abraham Lincoln, 1858 in Clinton Illinois.
And a (y) to @Naah.
Yes, impartial and fair reporting would be great (it might also increase the number of readers), but most of us know what it’s like for the media in Hungary.