Macron Sees Path to Solve EU’s ‘Existential’ Rule-of-Law Crisis
Macron Sees Path to Solve EU’s ‘Existential’ Rule-of-Law Crisis
(Bloomberg) -- President Emmanuel Macron wants to move forward with resolving the European Union’s rule-of-law standoff with Poland and Hungary during the first half of next year, when France holds the rotating presidency of the 27-nation bloc.
Speaking in Budapest after meeting with the leaders of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Macron said a path of dialog and respect was needed to push forward the “existential” issue of adhering to the bloc’s democratic values.
The European Commission is withholding approval of funds from the EU’s 750 billion-euro ($849 billion) pandemic recovery package for Hungary and Poland over concerns that they aren’t meeting the the bloc’s democratic standards.
In the first quarter of 2022, EU judges are expected to rule on a mechanism that conditions that member nations adhere to rule of law standards to receive EU funds. That could lead to the suspension of some aid to Hungary and Poland, which are trying to void the new regulation in court.
“I hope that in the spring, we will have a deep discussion on the mechanisms to move this forward,” Macron told reporters on Monday. “And to lift ambiguities to show it’s not about political sensitivities but existential topics for Europe when you are talking about values and the rule of law.”
During his visit, Macron, who met with Hungarian opposition leaders, pledged that the rule of law mechanism will be launched during the French EU presidency, 444.hu website reported, citing Klara Dobrev, an opposition leader who took part in the talks.
The French President said he sees no willingness by Hungary to address issues regarding alleged corruption in its public tenders before parliamentary elections slated for the spring of 2022. Poland, on the other hand, has been targeted by the EU over its judicial reforms, which dangerously impede the independence of the country’s courts, according to the bloc’s highest tribunal.
“I don’t like the threat or even the hypothesis of nations exiting the EU,” Macron said. “We need to find ways to convince, to make things progress via dialog.”
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