The European Parliament threatened to take the Commission to court to free part of the funds withheld from Hungary. international

An institutional conflict looms between the European Commission and the European Parliament over the weakening of the rule of law in Hungary. The European Parliament is preparing to take the Union Executive before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to block the delivery of 10.2 billion euros of European funds to Budapest. This amount represents a large part of the structural funding programs that…

An institutional conflict looms between the European Commission and the European Parliament over the weakening of the rule of law in Hungary. The European Parliament is preparing to take the Union Executive before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to block the delivery of 10.2 billion euros of European funds to Budapest. This amount represents a large portion of the structural funding programs that were withheld from the country, on the understanding that it had complied with certain reforms that were requested to repair some of the damage caused to justice. A large majority of MEPs “express regret and confirm their deep concern about this decision as to whether it complies with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (…) with regard to judicial independence”, in favor Expresses a resolution approved by 345 votes. , 104 were against and 29 were absent. The initiative adopted this Thursday instructs the parliamentary legal affairs committee to analyze the “legality of the decision” and, if it concludes that it is illegal, file a complaint with the CJEU.

The complaint comes as lawmakers consider the “decline of democracy” in Hungary to continue and the government of ultra-conservative Viktor Orban to undermine European values ​​in their country. There remains a deep conflict between the European Parliament and the Magyar Executive. It was these MEPs who years ago initiated the sanction process against Hungary for the suspension of the country’s right to vote in the Council of the EU for undermining judicial independence, not fighting corruption or violating the rights of minorities such as LGBTI people. Could have ended with. , However, the member states who have the power to press this nuclear button do not step in, despite the fact that radical populists often block decisions that the twenty-seven have to take by unanimity and their proximity. Russian autocrat, Vladimir Putin.

For this reason, in the resolution, parliamentarians “deeply regret the failure of the (EU) Council to achieve significant progress” in the approval process launched in 2018. The text even demands that “the Council of Europe and the Member States take action and determine whether Hungary has committed a serious and persistent violation of EU values ​​under Article 7(2) TEU (Treaty on European Union) is a step in the process whereby voting rights can be suspended in the affected country, in this case Hungary.

The conflict between Orbán and the European Parliament has many chapters. This is another one that has already been encountered Ultra Prime Minister’s reaction on social networks, formerly Twitter. Regarding the debate this Wednesday, it said in its first sentence, “Liberal MEPs attacked Hungary once again yesterday.” Soon after he mixed his reaction with a blockade of the European budget review, which includes the allocation of 50 billion euros to finance Ukraine, a country invaded by its ally Russia. In the past, the European Parliament has described Hungary as a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy” and accused it of not being a full democracy. He then claimed that, due to repeated attacks on European values ​​and the rule of law, Hungary should not be able to hold the presidency of the Council of the EU, something it will have to do in the second half of this year.

In fact these attacks are the reason why Hungary still has about 21 billion euros of the Solidarity Fund and Recovery Plan withheld by the Union Executive and the Council of the EU. As of last December, the Commission had blocked all Solidarity Fund resources, approximately €22 billion, for not complying with the minimum standards of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. He particularly rebuked them for undermining the independence of justice, attacks on LGTBI minorities, violation of the principle of academic freedom in universities and degradation of the right to asylum. After more than a year of negotiations between Brussels and Budapest, which led to a number of reforms, the Executive headed by Ursula von der Leyen unlocked €10.2 billion last December of the corresponding part of judicial independence. However, changes are still pending in Budapest to be able to access another €10.8 billion of the Cohesion Fund and the Recovery Plan and the RepowerEU programme, approximately 10,000 more.

The parliament resolution passed this Thursday only affects the 10.2 billion issued last month. This is not the first time that the European Parliament has taken this step because of Hungary. They already gave it this in 2021, when they demanded that von der Leyen freeze money to the ultra government through the conditionality mechanism, a tool available to the Commission to stop the delivery of resources to a country. Available when he realizes there is a risk to him. Budget. community, since one of Hungary’s most serious problems is its poor fight against corruption. The Commission ultimately activated the conditionality mechanism and no claims were brought before the CJEU.

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