BUDAPEST, Nov 26 (Reuters) – Hungary’s government will uphold its veto of the next European Union budget over because the budget links payments to democratic standards, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff said on Thursday.
Gergely Gulyas told a press briefing that Orban, who will meet his chief ally, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, later on Thursday, would present a joint written position on the standoff over the Hungary and Poland’s veto of the budget and an EU recovery fund.
The veto decision by Poland and Hungary, both beneficiaries of the budget and the recovery plan, is likely to delay hundreds of billions of euros in funds, just as the 27-nation bloc is facing a second wave of COVID-19 and a double-dip recession.
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LUBLIN, POLAND – SEPTEMBER 11: The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban takes part on a press conference during the Visegrad Summit at the Centre for the Meetings of Culture on September 11, 2020 in Lublin, Poland. The heads of state of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic have gathered to discuss the upcoming extraordinary meeting of the European Council, the ongoing political crisis in Belarus as well as relations with Russia and the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images)
Both countries are under EU investigation for undermining the independence of courts, media and non-governmental organisations. With the conditions in place, the two nations risk losing access to tens of billions of euros.
“It is unacceptable that anyone should link disbursements of EU funds to political criteria,” Gulyas said, adding that the Hungarian government was sticking to this stance.
Poland and Hungary should ask the EU’s top court to assess the link between access to EU money and observing the rule of law, instead of blocking the EU’s 2021-2027 budget and recovery plan, the head of the European Commission said on Wednesday.
But Gulyas said there was nothing to take to the EU court as “there was no accepted rule of law criteria.”
He also said a proposal to ensure the right of appeal was a “good move by the German government” but was not sufficient.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) talks with South Korea Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (L) during their meeting in Seoul, South Korea, on Nov. 26, 2020.
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First contactless traffic light button in Europe used in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Nov. 25, 2020.
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European Commissioner for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová speaks at a debate on Hungarian interference in the media in Slovenia and North Macedonia, during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 25, 2020.
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Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn autographs a portrait brought by royalists as Queen Suthida looks on during their appearance in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 25, 2020.
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Members of Lithuania’s parliament applaud Lithuania’s Homeland Union and Lithuanian Christian Democrats party leader Ingrida Šimonytė (C) at the parliament in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Nov. 24, 2020. Lithuania’s parliament approved Šimonytė as the new prime minister.
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Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar (L) smiles next to Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto after a press conference closing the 2020 Afghanistan donor conference hosted by the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on Nov. 24, 2020.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei receives Members of the High Council for Economic Coordination in Tehran, Iran, on Nov. 24, 2020.
China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (L) and his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi bump elbows at the start of their talks, amid the COVID-19 outbreak, in Tokyo, Japan, on Nov. 24, 2020.
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Ethiopian refugees fleeing from the ongoing fighting in Tigray region, are seen in the process of registration at the Fashaga camp, on the Sudan-Ethiopia border, in Kassala state, Sudan, on Nov. 24, 2020.
Moroccan tribesmen demonstrate in support of their King near a border crossing point between Morocco and Mauritania in Guerguerat located in the Western Sahara, on Nov. 24, 2020, after the intervention of the royal Moroccan armed forces in the area.
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Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (C) leaves after delivering her policies at chamber of the Legislative Council in Hong Kong on Nov. 25, 2020.
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Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides (R) and his Slovak counterpart Ivan Korcok hold a joint press conference following their meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nicosia, Cyprus, on Nov. 23, 2020.
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Burkina Faso’s President Roch Marc Christian Kabore casts his vote at a polling station during the presidential and legislative election, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on Nov. 22, 2020.
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U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien gives a thumbs-up after speaking to students of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam university in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Nov. 22, 2020.
A supporter of Spain’s late dictator Francisco Franco attends an annual gathering held on the week of the 45th anniversary of the dictator’s death, in Madrid, Spain, on Nov. 22, 2020.
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Vehicles run on a flooded highway in Tunis, Tunisia, on Nov. 22, 2020.
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Ethiopians who fled the ongoing fighting in the Tigray region, carry their belongings from a boat after crossing the Setit River on the Sudan-Ethiopia border in Hamdayet village in Sudan on Nov. 22, 2020.
Members of KCDP (We Will Stop Femicides Platform – Kadin Cinayetlerini Durduracagiz Platformu) hold placards reading ‘stop femicide’ and ‘We will enforce the Istanbul convention’, during a protest for better implementation of the Istanbul Convention and the Turkish Law 6284 for protection of the family and prevention of violence against women, in Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 22, 2020.
Greek Presidential Guards, the Evzones, wear protective masks against the spread of coronavirus while performing their ceremonial duties at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens, Greece, on Nov. 22, 2020.
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Opposition supporters parade through the streets during a rally to protest police violence and Belarus presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, on Nov. 22, 2020.
A general view of the Champs-Elysees Avenue and the Arc de Triomphe after the inauguration of the Christmas season lights in Paris, France, on Nov. 22, 2020.
Women riders shout slogans as they take part in a motorcycle rally for women empowerment and awareness organized by the Pink Riders Pakistan group, in Karachi, Pakistan, on Nov. 21, 2020.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz gives a virtual speech during an opening session of the 15th annual G20 Leaders’ Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Nov. 21, 2020.
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Police spray a water cannon at protesters during a demonstration against an “overall security” bill, which includes an article seeking to limit the filming of police officers on duty, in Paris, France, on Nov. 21.
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Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (R) bumps elbows to greet U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien during a meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Nov. 21, 2020.
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A demonstrator argues with a member of security forces as he takes part in a protest during a national strike in Bogota, Colombia, on Nov. 21, 2020.
Police members check on passengers wearing protective face mask inside the underground Al Shohadaa “Martyrs” metro, as Egypt ramps up its efforts to slow down the spread of COVID-19, in Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 21, 2020.
A driver pushes his vehicle through a street flooded due to heavy rainfall in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq, on Nov. 21, 2020.
(L-R) Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, William Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, John C.C. Deng, minister without portfolio, Wang Mei-hua, minister of economic affairs, and another official pose for a group photo after a press conference regarding the U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue in Taipei, Taiwan, on Nov. 21.
Brigadier General Ahmed Taiwo, who heads the army’s 81st Division in Lagos, speaks during a judicial panel investigating claims that Nigerian soldiers shot dead peaceful protesters in Lagos, Nigeria, on Nov. 21, 2020.
Chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, speaks during an interview in Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 21, 2020. The Afghan government and the Taliban have resolved key sticking points that had stalled peace talks for weeks, several sources told AFP on Nov. 21, clearing the way for negotiations to move forward.
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (R) and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu shake hands during their meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 21, 2020.
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Performers dance during a protest called by nightclub guilds in support of the reopening of nightlife spots in Barcelona, Spain, on Nov. 21, 2020.
Activists and supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) gather for the funeral prayer of Khadim Hussain Rizvi, founder of TLP, in Lahore, Pakistan, on Nov. 21, 2020.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) walks with the U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman as he prepares to board a plane at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Nov. 20, 2020.
Ugandan presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi (in blue), also known as Bobi Wine, stands inside the courtroom in Iganga, Uganda, on Nov. 20, 2020.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit via a video conference call, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, on Nov. 20, 2020.
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A man inspects a damaged house after several rockets land at Khair Khana, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Nov. 21, 2020.
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The G20 logo is projected on the historical site of al-Tarif in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Nov. 20, 2020.
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Hindu devotees light sparklers before worshipping the rising sun during the Chhath festival, at the Bagmati River in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Nov. 21, 2020.
Morocco’s Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit (R) meets with his Spanish counterpart Fernando Grande-Marlaska during his official visit to discuss illegal migration in Rabat, Morocco, on Nov. 20, 2020.
A woman wearing a face mask as a preventive measure walks past a store in Kraków, Poland, on Nov. 20, 2020.
Migrants from a group of 1,334 rescued from different boats remain in the port of Arguineguin, while being cared for by the Spanish Red Cross and the National Police in Gran Canaria, Spain, on Nov. 20, 2020.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addresses the nation in a televised address in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 20, 2020.
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A man wearing a face mask walks after attending Friday prayers at the mosque of al-Imam al-Shafi’i after its restoration, in Cairo, Egypt, on Nov. 20, 2020.
Volunteers and workers from the World Food Programme prepare to distribute relief supplies to Ethiopians who fled the war in Tigray region, at the Fashaga camp on the Sudan-Ethiopia border in Al-Qadarif, Sudan, on Nov. 20, 2020.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) meets the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan, Abdullah Abdullah, in Ankara, Turkey, on Nov. 20, 2020.
A woman wearing protective mask leaves after lighting a candle in memory of the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who died from COVID-19, at St. Marko’s church, in Belgrade, Serbia, on Nov. 20, 2020.
Pakistan’s Minister of Railways, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, cuts the ribbon as he inaugurates the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) inner-city train service, which was discontinued in 1999, at a city station in Karachi, Pakistan, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi speaks alongside U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after a security briefing on Mount Bental in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Ugandan security forces patrol on a street in Kampala, Uganda, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Residents are seen wading through tidal floods that hit the Muara Angke area in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani (R) meets with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Hindu devotees take part in a ritual during the Chhath Puja festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Nov. 19, 2020.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard warship named after naval commander Abdollah Roudaki, sails into the Iranian southern territorial waters, on Nov. 19, 2020.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses the media in Berlin, Germany, on Nov. 19, 2020.
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Right-wing civil activist Mykola Kokhanivskyi (C) speaks during a news conference in Maidan Nezalezhnosti ahead of the Dignity and Freedom Day in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Redwan Hussein (L), State Minister for Foreign Affairs and spokesperson for the newly established State of the Emergency task force, and Mulu Nega, Chief Executive of the Provisional Administration of Tigray National Regional State, attend a news conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Protesters walk directly to the Main Square while a projection of the National Women’s strike logo is screened on a wall during a protest against police violence towards an abortion law demonstration in Krakow, Poland, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, speaks at a CEO Dialogue forum via video link, ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Nov. 19, 2020.
European Council President Charles Michel arrives for an EU Summit video conference at the European Council building in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Malawian preacher Shepherd Bushiri waves at sympathizers as he leaves the Lilongwe Magistrate Court in Lilongwe, Malawi, on Nov. 19, 2020.
A temporary shelter, which was prepared for those whose houses were damaged after the earthquake on Oct. 30, in Izmir, Turkey, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Romanian Prime Minister Ludovic Orban in an interview at The Victoria Palace, the Romanian Government headquarters in Bucharest, Romania, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Villagers watch as smoke and flame rise from a burning house in Karmiravan, Azerbaijan, on Nov. 20, 2020.
Workers in traditional attire wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease during the daily re-enactment of the changing of the Royal Guards at Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, South Korea, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Anthony Sadler, one of the three “heroes” of the Thalys train, leave the Paris courthouse during the trial of a suspected Islamist gunman who opened fire on a Thalys high-speed train between Amsterdam and Paris in France, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Netherlands’ Prime Minister Mark Rutte poses with Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya ahead of a meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, on Nov. 19, 2020.
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Nigeria’s Information Minister Lai Mohammed holds a news conference on protests in Abuja, Nigeria, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Vehicles are seen stuck on a road in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Nov. 19, 2020.
People wearing protective face masks are seen on a Belgrade Beovoz train, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Belgrade, Serbia, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (R) and U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen greet each other with an elbow bump during a meeting in Moscow, Russia, on Nov. 19, 2020.
Ethiopian men, who fled the war in the Tigray region, queue for wet food ration at the Um-Rakoba camp on the Sudan-Ethiopia border in Al-Qadarif state, Sudan, on Nov. 19, 2020.
155/155 SLIDES
Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki, before heading off to Budapest, also sounded firm on the Polish veto at a news conference in Warsaw.
“We warn our friends that the EU should not go this way, we will talk about it with Prime Minister Orban,” he said.
“I am in contact with the Prime Minister of Slovenia and the Visegrad group and we are discussing how to convince the German or Portuguese presidency as soon as possible, and from July 1 the presidency is taken over by Slovenia, whose prime minister issued a letter very clearly specifying the risks, threats and errors associated with this regulation.”
Resolving the issue is also in the interest of Poland and Hungary, which would receive some of the highest amounts per capita from the EU. Both badly need the funds to help their economies overcome the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.