Hungary and Poland threaten to split ‘woke’ EU

Hungary and Poland are ­accusing ‘woke’ western ­Europe of using EU funds to ­impose a liberal agenda on ­conservative governments.

Viktor Orban has accused some EU countries of turning longstanding “rule of law” ­debates into a political and ideological weapon. Picture: AFP

Hungary and Poland are ­accusing “woke” western ­Europe of using EU funds to ­impose a liberal agenda on ­socially conservative governments as a new schism emerges within the bloc.

A summit of EU leaders overnight was expected to be dominated by a confrontation over the Brussels budget, underlining a deep cultural split ­between ­nationalist governments in central and eastern ­Europe and western member states.

The row follows Hungary and Poland’s vetoing of the EU’s €1.1 trillion 2021-2027 budget and a €750bn pandemic recovery fund, over a clause that makes ­access to funding conditional on respecting the rule of law.

Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister, even raised the previously taboo possibility of restarting the bloc without Hungary and Poland. In a recent parliamentary debate he asked Dutch MPs: “Can you found an EU without Hungary and ­Poland?” It stoked fears among eastern European countries that an inner core of nations would try to force them out. Viktor Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minister, has accused some countries, including France, Germany and The Netherlands, of turning longstanding “rule of law” ­debates into a political and ideological weapon.

“In our view, tying economic and financial questions to political debates would be a grave mistake, one that would undermine Europe’s unity,” he said, warning that the EU would “use financial means to blackmail countries which oppose migration”.

Both Mr Orban and Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party are ready for a battle with the EU — described by the Hungarian ­leader as “a cultural counter-revolution” — to shore up their flagging domestic political support.

The stakes are high because ­Poland is due to receive more than €130bn, worth 4 per cent of GDP annually, under the budget. Hungary is earmarked for €41bn, representing a boost of up to 10 per cent of GDP.

The Polish and Hungarian governments, with the support of Slovenia’s nationalist Prime Minister, fear that access to funds will be used to target their conservative policies on LGBT rights and abortion, or their resistance to migration quotas.

“Hungary has been a primary target of the proposed measure,” Judit Varga, its Justice Minister, said. “I think today ‘rule of law’ is everything and anything that you don’t like about Hungary.”

Poland is concerned that a clause on “potential risk” of breaches of the rule of law will push sanctions beyond its disputes over judicial reforms. ­‘“Potential risk’ is something that could be triggered by literally anything,” Pawel Jablonski, ­Poland’s Deputy Foreign Minister, told the Financial Times.

“We’ve already had suggestions that ­issues as far from judicial reform as alleged LGBT discrimination or abortion regulation could trigger these sanctions.”

Removing the rule of law clause is not an option for Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, who is trying to broker a deal, ­because a group led by The Netherlands, France and the European parliament will refuse to approve the EU budget without it.

The Times