EU, Hungary and Poland reiterate their veto on the budget and Recovery Fund

• EU videoconference: Hungary and Poland's veto blocks the Recovery Fund

• EU, Gentiloni: "Strong recovery depends on quick green light to Recovery Fund"

• Recovery Fund, Misiani: "There is a risk of a postponement of the plan"

• Recovery fund: Hungary and Poland veto and block the EU budget

Share

November 27, 2020 The Polish Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, has written a new letter to the European Commission in which he reiterates his objections to the conditionality on the rule of law and the veto on the 1800 billion package, which includes the EU budget and Recovery.

Yesterday in a meeting in Budapest with the Hungarian, Viktor Orban, the two leaders reiterated their no to the clause, promising mutual support

"Those who insist on linking financial issues to political ones will lead to the ruin of various member states", since "EU countries with high debt-to-GDP ratios will find themselves in big trouble".

Although "the European Parliament convinced the German presidency to link crisis management to politics", Hungary "will stick to the position it took in the summer".

Thus the Hungarian premier, Viktor Orban, on Kossuth radio, while the meeting of EU ambassadors is underway in Brussels, which among the items on the agenda has the veto of Poland and Hungary on the EU budget and the Recovery fund.

Orban recalled that for the approval of the budget and the Recovery "we need the votes of Hungary and Poland".

In this sense, he stressed that he will not change his mind, although he stressed that "an agreement can always be reached. The positions are clear".

Making the disbursement of EU funds conditional on respect for the rule of law is a political decision, said the Hungarian president.

"That political will can be changed, but ours cannot. It is a firm position", underlined the Hungarian premier.

The position of the European Commission "on conditionality on the rule of law" does not change.

Thus the spokesman of the European Commission, Eric Mamer, to those who ask for reactions after the meeting of the leaders of Poland and Hungary, who reaffirmed their veto on the EU budget and the Recovery Fund.

As President Ursula von der Leyen "explained to the plenary of the European Parliament, the mechanism corresponds to the July agreement. We believe it is a mechanism that focuses on the protection of the European budget, and which guarantees fair and just application".

Furthermore, any decision that is taken can be brought to the attention of the European Court of Justice, Mamer reiterated.

Mamer also explains that in the event of failure to approve the multiannual financial framework and the Recovery Fund within the year due to the Polish and Hungarian veto, the European Commission "will work on technical alternatives" which represent "the only plan B, the one established by the Treaties ", but Brussels for the moment" continues to work on the rapid approval "of the budget.

The EU executive also confirmed that it had received the letter from Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki "which highlighted his position on the mechanism for the protection of the rule of law".

On this topic "the Commission's position has not changed - added Mamer - we believe that the mechanism for the protection of the rule of law agreed by Parliament and the Council corresponds to the compromise established in July", and therefore closed to possible changes to the new regulation of protection of the EU budget.