EU parliament votes to sanction Hungary and Poland in midst of Ukraine war — despite both countries welcoming 1.6 million refugees in a fortnight
The European Parliament voted 478 to 155 in favor of imposing sanctions on the two countries that have taken in the overwhelming majority of Ukrainian refugees
The EU legislative body supported the call for the European Commission to place immediate sanctions on the two countries by a vote of 478 to 155, despite the humanitarian crisis from the Russo-Ukrainian conflict spilling over into Hungarian and Polish territory.
In a press release published shortly after Thursday’s vote, the European Parliament insisted it was “high time” for the European Commission to start taking steps to protect the EU budget from member states who ignore the bloc’s rule of law.
EU lawmakers insisted that taxpayers’ money must be protected “against those who undermine the EU’s values.”
In January 2021, the EU introduced the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism which provided a tool whereby the Commission could refuse to release EU funds to national governments who they considered to be in breach of the common rule of law.
In essence, it means that if conservative countries dissent against the liberal European mainstream on how to govern — for example, Hungary’s passing of legislation which prohibited LGBT+ propaganda to be taught in schools or rejects mass immigration — the offending country could be refused access to European funds they are entitled to.
When the stupid lead...
Could it be that Hungary and Poland just drop out of the EU and tell 'em to take their rules and stick 'em someplace the sun don't shine?
Germany can pretend to run Europe on its own dime.