Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that if EU leaders fail to reach an agreement on the contentious issues concerning the bloc's next multi-year budget and post-pandemic recovery package, it will be because of the Netherlands
Speaking yesterday, before the third day of negotiations, the prime minister said the Netherlands wanted to introduce a mechanism to monitor how European Union funds are paid out to and spent by member states, especially in the case of southern EU countries.
According to MTI, PM Orbán said the mechanism proposed by the Netherlands would be an entirely new one even in terms of the issue of the rule of law. He said the introduction of a new mechanism would require the amendment of the EU treaties. Hungary does not believe that there is a need for a new mechanism but is ready to debate the matter, he said.
In regards to the Netherlands and Hungary, he said: “I don’t know what is the personal reason for the Dutch prime minister to hate me or Hungary, but he is attacking so harshly.” PM Orbán said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte had made it “very clear” that because Hungary “in his opinion does not respect the rule of law it must be punished financially”. He called this position “unacceptable”, arguing that no decision had been issued on the rule-of-law situation in Hungary.