Germany to demand 'bite to its bark' from EU on Hungary - Politico
Photo: Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary (facebook.com/orbanviktor)
The new German government has agreed to push the European Union (EU) to add "some bite" to "misbehaving countries." This likely refers to Hungary, Politico reports.
The conservatives of the new Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) have agreed to demand that the EU suspend funding as well as voting rights for countries that violate the key principles of the economic and political union, such as the rule of law.
Although Hungary is not explicitly mentioned in the draft coalition agreement, Politico is convinced that the reference is to Budapest — "EU’s worst offender", which has been accused for years of:
- Undermining democratic norms
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Restricting press freedom
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Limiting judicial independence
"Existing protective instruments, from infringement proceedings and the withholding of EU funds to the suspension of membership rights such as voting rights in the Council of the EU, must be applied much more consistently than before," wrote the negotiators in the draft coalition agreement regarding EU policy.
Hungary and the EU
In 2018, the EU launched the first stage of the Article 7 procedure against Hungary, known as the "nuclear option," over concerns about violations of the bloc’s fundamental values and human rights. However, this process later stalled due to political disagreements among member states.
In 2022, the European Commission blocked €22 billion in funding for Hungary due to concerns over human rights and judicial independence.
Another point of contention between the EU and Budapest arose due to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s "friendly" relations with Moscow.
Meanwhile, EU member states are discussing the possibility of making decisions regarding Ukraine without Hungary’s participation.
