Reuter reports today that Hungary will veto the European Union’s 2021-27 budget and its COVID recovery scheme if access to funds is made conditional on government’s adherence to the rule of law.
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has sent a letter to EU institutions threatening to veto the budget and Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki wrote a similar letter last week.
Hungarian Justice Minister Varga Judit wrote on social media quite easy to read and easy to understand explanation of the situation:
"Anyone who knows Hungarian history knows exactly that when it comes to the future of our children and grandchildren, the Hungarian people and Hungary make no compromises, be it the war for independence or just a simple veto."
"In the run-up to the final decision on the EU budget, let us clarify a few issues regarding relations between Hungary and the Union, as in the course of long negotiations, the EU institutions, some Member States and the national opposition mention many issues" - she added on Facebook.
Then she posted an extensive list of reasons why her government will take such an action. Reading those bullet points explains it all:
- Hungary has never fought against Europe, but for Europe and for the European future of our children and grandchildren.
- Hungary agrees with the founding fathers of the Union that Europe will be Christian and humanist, or it will be nothing.
- The vast majority of Hungarians and Europeans firmly believe that Europe should not give up its identity and basic values that make it the best continent to live in in the world.
- When it joined the EU in 2004, Hungary did not say "yes" to federalist Europe or globalism, and especially not to the United States of Europe, but to mutual support and respect based on strong nation states.
- When we joined the EU, we did not give up that part of our national sovereignty that determines who we want to live with in our own country.
- We did not agree to join the EU so that Brussels could define what we consider a family, what we call marriage and who can adopt children in Hungary and under what conditions.
- It is not true that during the migration crisis, Hungary was not in solidarity with other Member States because it spent hundreds of billions of forints on protecting Europe's borders, and we are trying to help people in trouble on the spot, because we believe that it is not the problems that need to be brought to Europe, but help must be provided to the needy.
- It was not Hungary that attacked other Member States because of their migration policy, but they attacked us.
- It is not Hungary that attacks Brussels and other Member States with fabricated charges under the pretext of fighting for the rule of law, but they are attacking us.
- It is not us who criticize Member States where there is no Constitutional Court or where the government directly instructs the prosecutors, or where judges are appointed by politicians, but they criticize us.
- It is not us who are calling for the rule of law in those Member States where there have recently been continuous violent attacks on Christians and increasingly frequent anti-Semitic atrocities, but they are calling on us.
- Contrary to what the Hungarian opposition claims, the EU subsidies and cohesion funds are not charitable donations but payments to which Hungary is entitled under the EU treaties. In exchange for these funds, Hungary undertook a number of steps upon accession, including: opening its markets, renouncing customs and other revenues, transposing the entire EU acquis, accepting the free movement of capital (allowing unlimited investment by capital-intensive companies from Western Europe), and Hungary also makes a significant contribution to the common budget of the Union.
- It is not Hungary that is blackmailing and putting pressure on Brussels in the EU budget negotiations, but it is Brussels that is blackmailing us.
