Hungary and Poland veto EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund
Hungary and Poland have effectively vetoed the European Union’s budget and coronavirus recovery package in response to plans to make access to funds conditional on adhering to the rule of law.
The veto came as top EU officials and countries’ ambassadors today discussed the €1.1 trillion (£990bn) budget, which covers 2021-27, and the €750bn coronavirus recovery fund.
Hungary and Poland voted against a move to lift the EU’s resources ceiling, according to reports. That means the huge budget and recovery package cannot be ratified.
The EU agreed in July that governments should only be allowed to access the money if they commit to upholding the rule of law.
Hungary and Poland could have fallen foul of such a provision. The governments of Victor Orban in the former and Andrzej Duda in the latter are widely believed to have eroded the independence of the courts and the media.
Orban had previously threatened to vote against the budget. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had made similar threats.
Both countries confirmed that they were set to follow this course today. Asked if Hungary would vote against the budget, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said: “Your deduction is correct.”
Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland’s Justice Minister said this was “the decisive moment… when Poland can declare a veto”.
He attacked the rule of law provisions as a “political project designed to limit Poland’s sovereignty”.