Polish and Hungarian muscle-flexing could endanger Europe’s recovery

Integrating the EU’s recovery fund into the normal budgetary process opened the door for authoritarian regimes in eastern and central Europe to veto it. But the EU must stand firm

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban are opposing the new rule of law mechanism in the EU budget because they have been violating it. Photo: Getty

Hungary and Poland are exercising their right to veto the EU budget. They are doing this because they want to block the EU’s €750 billion next generation recovery fund from having a new “rule of law” condition attached. This new rule of law condition would threaten their authoritarian regimes.

If they continue blocking the deal, the effectiveness of the EU recovery fund will be undermined, as it will delay the distribution of funds to crisis-stricken ...