It’s time for action to defend European democracy, says Dutch MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld

The European Union’s stand-off with Hungary and Poland on the rule of law has been overshadowed by the more immediate crises of Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic, but that shouldn’t obscure its significance, says Dutch MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld. People who are in opposition or critical journalists in those countries feel they have the backing of the European Union, and that is very important.’ Hungary and Poland complained of ‘political blackmail’ and vetoed an early draft of the seven-year budget, worth €1.1 trillion, along with a €750 billion coronavirus recovery package that was tied to it. New mechanisms have been introduced to monitor how well countries comply with the EU’s core values, such as an annual ‘health check’ on the status of the rule of law. So we are definitely moving forward, but it’s not an easy process.’ Interference During the budget talks Orbán denounced the rule of law mechanism as a ‘political and ideological weapon’, adding: ‘In Brussels today, they only view countries which let migrants in as those governed by the rule of law.’ His Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morewiecki, condemned the ‘European oligarchy that punishes the weakest.’ In ‘t Veld dismisses the argument that Europe is interfering with member states’ sovereignty, pointing out that Hungary was the first country to ratify the Lisbon Treaty.