Triggering of the Rule of Law conditionality mechanism against Hungary ‘long overdue’

Renew Europe welcomes the belated steps today taken by the European Commission to trigger the Rule of Law conditionality mechanism against the Hungarian Government.

At the same time, our political group remains critical and disappointed that the European Commission waited this long to apply the mechanism that we fought tooth and nail to secure. The repeated failures of the European Commission to defend the rule of law have allowed Viktor Orbán to degrade liberal democracy in Hungary.

Katalin Cseh (Hungary, Momentum), Vice-President of Renew Europe and Renew Europe's shadow on the regulation in the Committee on Budgetary Control, said:

“The decision to trigger the Rule of Law mechanism came after repeated calls from Parliament and with considerable and unnecessary delay. We call for more credibility from the Commission's side, as well as emergency funding directly reaching local governments and civil society.”

Moritz Körner (Germany, Freie Demokratische Partei), Renew Europe’s shadow on the regulation in the Committee on Budgets, commented:

“The activation of the rule of law mechanism is good news for the democracy in Europe. The EU is a community of values that is no longer willing to accept corrupt, illiberal tendencies in its own ranks. However, the late activation also has a negative connotation. The EU Commission is the guardian of the treaties, but von der Leyen has made the enforcement of EU law dependent on the national election calendar. It is now up to the Member States to approve the activation of the rule of law mechanism as quickly as possible.”