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Poland and Hungary open to lift the veto on the recovery fund

2020-12-09T19:06:35.672Z


European sources assure that the agreement is practically closed a few hours before the EU summit Berlin's behind-the-scenes negotiations with Hungary and Poland appear to be proceeding apace. 24 hours before the European summit that starts this Thursday, both Budapest and Warsaw are already giving clear signals of their willingness to lift the veto on the EU budgets and the recovery fund. European sources have indicated to EL PAÍS that the final agreement is practically already done. "We are


Berlin's behind-the-scenes negotiations with Hungary and Poland appear to be proceeding apace.

24 hours before the European summit that starts this Thursday, both Budapest and Warsaw are already giving clear signals of their willingness to lift the veto on the EU budgets and the recovery fund.

European sources have indicated to EL PAÍS that the final agreement is practically already done.

"We are awaiting a final confirmation," says a diplomatic source.

Poland and Hungary have so far refused to allow the processing of budgets to try to abort a new regulation that allows suspending European funds to countries where the erosion of the rule of law endangers the proper use of EU financial resources.

The offensive by the two Central European countries to withdraw the project has failed, but the EU seems ready to offer them a means of withdrawal by means of a declaration reaffirming the application of the regulation in a fair way to all Member States.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán pointed out late Tuesday that the agreement was close after negotiations held in recent weeks with Germany, which holds the six-month presidency of the EU.

"I think we are close to an agreement, which would be a victory, a good result for Poland and Hungary and it could also be very good for the EU," the Hungarian prime minister said in statements to a Polish television channel.

And this Wednesday, the Polish Deputy Prime Minister, Jaroslaw Gowin, also took it for granted, although it is one of the members of the Government of Mateusz Morawiecki who has always been against the veto.

The pact, in fact, is still pending official confirmation in the three capitals involved (Berlin, Budapest and Warsaw) and is still subject to possible disputes, in particular within the Polish Government, where the toughest wing is reluctant to accept the rules.

The terms of the declaration may also pose problems between partners such as the Netherlands or Sweden if Berlin offers a type of mechanism that allows Budapest, Warsaw or any other capital to neutralize the effective application of the regulation in the future.

The European Parliament, a strong supporter of the regulation, is also vigilant.

In Brussels, there is a feeling that the Hungarian-Polish veto may have its hours numbered.

And community sources observe with relief the possibility of circumventing one of the biggest problems facing this week's summit.

The blockade affected, on the rebound, the agreement on reducing CO2 emissions, which requires powerful community financing and which also expects to close during the two days of the summit.

Merkel's legacy

The double fiasco would pose a serious threat to the EU's economic recovery after the pandemic and to the club's international credibility in the fight against climate change.

And it would have sunk the balance sheet of the semi-annual presidency of the EU, occupied by Germany from July 1 to December 31, 2020, the last time that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will lead the club.

The likely agreement with Hungary and Poland will save Merkel's European legacy and allow the Union to enter 2021 with a budgetary framework of an unprecedented volume (1.8 trillion euros in total for seven years) and with a commitment to reduce its CO2 emissions by 55% in 2030 relative to 1990 level.

Source: elparis

All news articles on 2020-12-09

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