National governments get bailed out - from their own capitals

"Today we form an alliance against nationalist populism," said Budpest's mayor Gergely Karascony, when the pact was signed.

According to the Pact, cities must protect democracy, the rule of law and minorities in accordance with EU regulations. All of this is a support for the European Commission and other EU countries, which have been criticized above all by the governments of Poland and Hungary.

Within the EU, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary have formed a right-wing nationalist bloc. The list is long on the issues where the governments of these countries have ended on collision course with the rest of the EU, and an ever deeper gap between east and west has emerged.

The governments of these countries have refused to accept asylum seekers and follow the 2015 decisions on a distribution where all EU countries would receive asylum seekers. Both Poland and Hungary have been criticized by the European Commission for political control in appointing judges. Both Poland and the Czech Republic depend on coal and coal mines for their energy supply and curb decisions within the EU to reduce climate change emissions of carbon dioxide.

Within the EU, discussions are under way to reduce EU funding for these countries. The four mayors are now intervening in this discussion and want to get EU support directly to their cities and municipalities without interference from national governments. The mayor of Budapest hinted at media revelations that EU agricultural aid in Hungary has gone to friends of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

"In the past decade, EU funds have largely been left to power and oligarchs, European development money has funded corruption and autocracy," Budapest Mayor Gergely Karascony said today.

The four mayors' pact is primarily a political platform, but the capitals are set to start discussions with the European Commission in Brussels on enhanced cooperation.