The Justice Minister has confirmed that Hungary will resist any effort by the European Commission to tie European Union funding to observance of the rule of law.
Judit Varga told the Reuters news agency that the EU already has the tools it needs to safeguard the rule of law and the distribution of EU funding. “We don’t have to (re)invent the wheel,” the Minister said.
Minister Varga said the definition of “generalized deficiency” regarding the rule of law in the EU’s 2021-27 draft budget was too vague. She said her goal was to “completely drop” this proposal, pointing out that there was a “package principle” when adopting the draft budget. “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. And this is a red line,” she said. The Minister denied that Hungary was violating the principle of the rule of law.
The Minister dismissed a plan by the outgoing European Commission to introduce a regular rule of law review similarly to how it reviews member states’ national budgets, saying it was “completely contrary to the treaties”. Minister Varga added that hopefully the new commission would “build bridges instead of making gaps” between member states.
Photo credit: magyarnemzet.hu