BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union finance ministers were assessing on Tuesday whether to instantly punish Hungary by withholding billions of euros for failures to implement solid rule-of-law reforms or whether to grant Budapest more time to enhance its democratic credentials.
On top of that, the 27 ministers were also hoping to make progress on approving 18 billion euros in financial aid for Ukraine and a worldwide minimum tax for multinational corporations. But due to Hungary’s ability to wield veto powers on such issues, every thing has develop into linked in a large package of political brinkmanship.
“I see all these topics as one package,” said Czech Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura, who was leading the daylong talks.
Many countries see Hungary’s holding back on other decisions as a thinly veiled threat by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to blackmail the remaining of the bloc into releasing the billions in regular EU funds and pandemic recovery money that has been held up.
The EU’s 27 nations have until Dec. 19 to take a choice, and EU leaders meet for a two-day summit next week, increasing possibilities that the problems could possibly be pushed forward on their plate.
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EU nations have been mulling for years now whether to punish Orban for what he calls his brand of “illiberal democracy” but what’s seen by many others as unfit for the EU’s traditional sense of Western democratic liberalism.
On top of that, Orban has also angered the bloc’s officials together with his repeated criticism of the EU sanctions targeting Russia for its war in Ukraine.
The EU’s executive branch proposed that the bloc suspend around 7.5 billion euros ($7.5 billion) in regular funding to Hungary over concerns about democratic backsliding and the possible mismanagement of EU money. The Commission also desires to put conditions on Hungary’s pandemic recovery plan value 5.8 billion euros and insists Budapest implement 27 “super milestones” on democratic reforms to unlock the funding.
Hungary already agreed on 17 anti-corruption measures, including the creation of an anti-corruption task force and changes to its public procurement rules, however the Commission desires to see more motion. The cash will be frozen under a recently introduced conditionality mechanism that enables the EU to take measures to guard its budget.
Any motion to suspend the funds have to be approved by the EU member countries, and this requires a “qualified majority” — a minimum of 15 countries representing a minimum of 65% of the overall EU population.
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