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The head of the Hungarian government called for a postponement of talks on the rule of law and a “rapid distribution of money” to countries in need of European funds, one day before a meeting in Budapest with his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki to coordinate the position of two states, AFP reports.
“Countries in need want money fast. So let’s give them this money,” says Viktor Orban in an interview with German weekly Die Zeit that will appear on Thursday.
“The other countries want new rules on the rule of law. Very well, we will discuss it. The first thing must start immediately, the second is less urgent” and “we can wait a few months,” Orban added, writes Agerpres.
The Hungarian premier will receive his Polish counterpart in Budapest on Thursday to “coordinate the position” of the two countries, engaged in a dispute with Brussels. Poland, through government spokesman Piotr Müller, said the focus of the meeting will be “on ongoing budget negotiations in the European Union”.
“Poland and Hungary intend to coordinate their positions,” the Permanent Representation of Poland in Brussels said on Twitter.
Warsaw and Budapest, common front
Often criticized by Brussels for their reforms accused of undermining democratic values, Budapest and Warsaw last week used veto power to block the multi-year budget and the European recovery plan and thus oppose a mechanism that would deprive them of funds. case of violation of the rule of law.
Warsaw sees in this mechanism that conditions European funds to the rule of law “an ideological struggle” against its “values”, and Budapest fears being sanctioned for its “anti-immigration” policy.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused Germany, which holds the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, of being responsible for the current blockade.
The Hungarian premier denounces to Die Zeit what he considers “an insidious modification of the contract, without the main parties being consulted”.
“The German train is speeding up and wants us to derail,” Orban insists. He added that he had warned German Chancellor Angela Merkel that she could not accept the new situation. “What you ask of me, Angela, is suicide,” he would have told her.
For its part, Brussels said Wednesday that the 750 billion euro plan, drawn up from 27 to July, “illustrates European solidarity”.
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