Justice Minister Judit Varga said the rule of law is too conceptually vague to be used as a yardstick for sanctioning EU member states.
During an interview published in German daily Die Welt, the minister said the rule of law is not a clear-cut and concrete norm that could be applied in everyday life because it is impossible to clearly define when a violation is committed and how it should be sanctioned. The minister said clear norms and definitions are required for a system to be able to function.
Minister Varga said the conclusions approved by the EU summit on July 21 made it clear that a system of sanctions cannot be based on such difficult-to-define notions. Hungary has always maintained the position that Article 7 procedures are only justified if the state concerned neglects the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union. “Hungary, however, has always obeyed these rulings,” she said.
The minister also said that German Chancellor Angela Merkel had promised at the Brussels summit to make every effort to have the Article 7 procedure against Hungary concluded. “If she gives her word, that’s enough for us,” she said. “However, Merkel alone cannot get the procedure concluded,” she added.
Photo credit: Magyar Nemzet