European Parliament threatens to sue Commission

Last week, the European Parliament voted to sue the European Commission if it fails to apply the rule of law conditionality against Hungary and Poland.

In Népszava, Róbert Friss contends that the European Parliament declared war on the European Commission by threatening to take it to court for delaying the application of rule of law conditionality in order to defend the EU’s financial interests. The left-wing pundit believes that the Commission ignores the pressure from the European Parliament so that it does not have to suspend the payment of EU funding to Poland and Hungary until the EU courts decide on the rule of law conditionality norms (see BudaPost March 19). Friss suggests that the dispute reveals the growing tension between the increasingly powerful European Parliament and the European Commission which, according to Friss, may sooner or later necessitate the structural reform of the EU.

Magyar Hírlap’s Mariann Őry accuses the European Parliament of using rule of law norms as a political weapon against right-wing conservative governments. The pro-government commentator finds it absurd that the European Parliament wants to pressure the EU court so that “the European Left and their Hungarian allies” can punish Hungary and Poland.

Tags: EU, European Commission, European Parliament, Poland, rule of law