The EU struck a big deal on Covid-19. But it might have dealt a blow to democracy
CNNCNN — Brussels began the week in celebratory mood, as member states of the European Union finally agreed how they would distribute around $2 trillion of funds across the bloc over the next seven years. French officials said that Macron “slammed his fist on the table” in anger ; Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed that his Dutch counterpart, Mark Rutte, hated him “because Hungary, in his opinion does not respect the rule of law, must be punished financially.” So, the Tuesday morning fudge didn’t surprise Brussels observers. “The EU has always been reluctant to act when there is a democratic backslide,” says Daniel Kelemen, Jean Monnet Chair in European Union Politics at Rutgers University. If member states ignore ECJ rulings, threaten judges who implement EU law, it doesn’t just threaten democracy; it threatens undermining the whole union,” says Keleman. They cannot guarantee that person will receive a fair trial, especially in countries where political dissent is being cracked down on.” While Hungary and Poland might provide much of the focus of concern, they are far from the only EU member states that have flouted some of the EU’s core pinciples.
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