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Submitted by JP on Fri, 10/09/2020 - 09:00
Waszczykowski: EU trying to bring down Hungary and Poland's conservative governments
Polityka

The EU will violate its founding treaties to bring down Hungary and Poland's conservative governments, according to MEP Witold Waszczykowski


The proposal to link the payment of EU funds to rule of law compliance is an attempt to bring down conservative government, according to MEP Witold Waszczykowski, who previously served as Poland's foreign minister. 

Waszczykowski says that attempts to create a mechanism by which the European Commission could withhold EU funds from selected member states is ideological and political rather than any attempt to defend the rule of law, according to Polish news outlet TVP Info. He accused those Polish MEPs who voted for the measure of being against Poland.

The European Parliament on Wednesday voted for the adoption of a mechanism for withholding EU funds from member states which violate key values of the EU such as the rule of law and basic rights, with Hungary and Poland the clear targets of the measure. A report on which the decision was based alleges that some EU states do not respect the rights of LGBT people.

Waszczykowski told TVP Info that the mechanism proposed, if implemented, would constitute a breach of EU treaties which specify that judicial systems are the competence of the member states. EU institutions are therefore usurping power, he believes. According to the former Polish foreign minister, the action is ideological, going well beyond legal norms. "It has nothing to do with the rule of law. Let us not be naive, this is an attempt to force through an ideology and to block or even overthrow conservative governments," he said. 

 

Source: rmx.news
Photo credit:  Creative Commons /EU2017EE Estonian Presidency