The Legal Affairs Committee of the EU Parliament has spoken out in favor of a lawsuit against the EU Commission. Its boss, von der Leyen, had released funding for Hungary that had been frozen due to corruption.
There is a suspicion that the EU Commission bought the consent of Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán for accession talks with Ukraine. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen justified the release of 10.2 billion euros with the judicial reforms that have been initiated in Hungary.
However, many EU MPs such as Green Party politician Daniel Freund see the move immediately before the EU summit last December as a political maneuver. “Worse still: There is a suspicion that the Commission President allowed herself to be blackmailed by Orbán. That cannot be allowed. And to clarify this, the European Parliament is now going to the European Court of Justice,” said Freund.
Supermajority in committee
The decision on the lawsuit was made in the Legal Affairs Committee with an overwhelming majority of 16 yes votes to one no vote. Ursula von der Leyen’s own group in the European People’s Party (EPP) is also in favor of it.
Of course, it’s not about damaging the reputation of the Commission or its President, said CDU European Parliament member Axel Voss. For the legal policy spokesman for the EPP group, to which the Union group also belongs, it is particularly important to defend the rule of law principles and general values of the EU, especially before the upcoming European elections in June: “We want to make it clear that the violation of the rule of law cannot simply be accepted. That’s why I can’t actually see any damage to the image of Parliament or the European Union in this step,” said Voss.
Lawsuit has another purpose
Above all, the lawsuit is intended to provide information about how much leeway the EU Commission has in its decisions about withholding budget funds. A legal report commissioned by Parliament initially did not come to a clear conclusion.
That’s why it’s impossible to predict how the court will decide, said right-wing politician René Repasi, who sits on the legal committee as a deputy for the Social Democrats: “In my opinion, no political games can be played with the rule of law. That’s why the borders must also be strictly aligned with the rule of law be,” says Repasi. “And there are doubts as to whether the judicial independence that was at issue here has actually been restored in Hungary. On the other hand, it is about protecting the Union’s financial interests.”
Money in “dark channels”
Because of violations of the rule of law such as corruption and a lack of independence of the judiciary, there is a great risk that European taxpayers’ money will seep away directly into dark channels, says Moritz Körner, chairman of the FDP group in the EU Parliament: “We cannot accept that Ursula from the der Leyen shows leniency towards corruption.”
The lawsuit seeks to annul the Commission’s decision. This means that, if successful, the money would have to be collected again or offset against future payments. Above all, it should be a signal that the EU Commission should not come up with the idea of prematurely paying out the remaining 20 billion euros that have been withheld to Budapest.
Parliament President Roberta Metsola now has until March 25th to go to the European Court in Luxembourg. In most cases it follows the committee votes.
Matthias Reiche, ARD Brussels, tagesschau, March 12, 2024 1:43 p.m