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Hungary: Viktor Orbán insists on separation of EU budget and rule of law

2020-12-05T11:41:57.101Z


Hungary and Poland have been blocking the EU's trillion budget for three weeks, and Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán has reaffirmed his veto. But the EU is working on a solution without him.


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Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán

Photo: Johanna Geron / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán remains stubborn in the budget dispute with the European Union (EU).

Together with Poland, Hungary would hold on to the veto, Orbán announced on state radio.

For almost three weeks, both countries have been blocking the EU's trillion budget - this can only be passed unanimously by all 27 EU member states.

Orbán and his Polish colleague Mateusz Morawiecki are confronted with a new clause that applies to the budget.

Accordingly, the EU recipient countries can reduce funds in the event of certain violations of the rule of law.

With her No, the entire 1.8 trillion euro budget package is blocked for the next seven years for the time being.

That includes 750 billion euros in corona aid, which many EU countries urgently need.

Prime Minister Orbán said that his country could still not accept a link between the budget and the rule of law.

"Hungary insists that these two things must be separated." On Thursday, Poland had shown willingness to waive a veto if the EU makes a declaration on the rule of law.

Orbán rejects that too.

EU Commission is examining alternative aid funds

The clause deals with the rule of law, such as independence from the judiciary and the media.

Hungary and Poland have been criticized for their dealings with the judiciary and the media for years.

They too should actually receive funds from the Corona aid pot.

The EU Commission is meanwhile examining specific models to start the multi-billion Corona reconstruction fund without the two countries.

This was confirmed by EU circles in Brussels on Thursday evening.

Poland and Hungary could go away empty-handed

The "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" reported that the preferred model is based on the new SURE short-time work aid.

The Corona fund could therefore be secured by voluntary guarantees from EU countries instead of the EU budget.

The blockers Poland and Hungary would go away empty-handed: Poland would miss 23.1 billion euros, Hungary 6.2 billion euros in grants. 

According to this model, the money could flow as quickly as intended, wrote the "FAZ".

From the committee, however, it was said that a decision on a particular path had not yet been made.

Icon: The mirror

mrc / dpa / Reuters

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2020-12-05

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