Hungary MEPs comment EU plans to cut funds for countries that breach rule of law

Hungarian MEPs on Wednesday were divided on a new mechanism included in the European Commission’s budget proposal for 2021-27 through which the bloc could penalise member states that undermine the rule of law. The Socialists welcomed the plan while independent MEP Krisztina Morvai interpreted it as an attempt to “blackmail” Hungary.

Socialist Party MEP István Ujhelyi said in a statement that the EC had found a solution which would not hurt the Hungarian people or cut funds for Hungary but at the same time was capable of penalising the Fidesz government “over its policies in breach of European rules”.

If the government of Viktor Orbán “continues its opaque and corruption-riddled practice of distributing funds”, European institutions will have the power to suspend, reduce or restrict its access to EU funds or control their direct disbursement, Ujhelyi said.

Independent Hungarian MEP Krisztina Morvai, formerly representing Jobbik party, said: “There is no problem with the rule of law in Spain, where police could beat hundreds of Catalans bloody.” In a statement she said the EU had also not expressed concern when anti-government protests in Hungary regularly turned violent in the autumn of 2006, leading to clashes between protestors and police.