Last week, the European Parliament adopted a resolution seeking to challenge the European Commission before the Court of Justice of the European Union over their unacceptable decision to prematurely release frozen EU funds to Hungary. 

Renew Europe Vice-President Katalin Cseh MEP (Momentum, HU), shadow rapporteur on the Rule of Law conditionality mechanism in the European Parliament Committee on Budgetary Control, welcomed the response by MEPs. 

"Today, this house shows that we are serious when it comes to defending the rule of law in our Union and that we are not afraid of Prime Minister Orbán's blackmailing attempts. The Commission will now have to face the consequences for selling out our EU values,” said Cseh. 

What is the @EU_Commission’s plan? Handing out huge sums of money & sending Orbán out of the room whenever there’s a unanimous decision? Because that’s what happens if one yields to an extortionist.

My speech at today’s #EPlenary pic.twitter.com/ZwFBmHFV08

— Katalin Cseh (@katka_cseh) January 17, 2024

Moreover, Parliament adopted a further measure to strip the Hungarian government of its voting rights in the Council, and called for the European Council President to immediately start the procedures to reform the decision-making process to finally end the abuse of the veto right in the Council. 

“Ursula von der Leyen sold off the rule of law in the EU in December like in a winter sale. For this, the European Parliament is taking the Commission to court. We are no longer going along with this,” said Moritz Körner MEP (FDP, DE), shadow rapporteur on the Rule of Law conditionality mechanism in the European Parliament Committee on Budgets. 

“If Ursula von der Leyen continues to give money to Orban, the liberal group will use its voting weight to table a motion of censure. The Member States must also assume their responsibility and finally decide to withdraw Hungary's vote in the Council in response to the undermining of the rule of law in the country.” 

Von der Leyen allowed herself to be blackmailed by Viktor Orbán!

The @Europarl_DE will challenge her decision before the European Court of Justice. @RenewEurope pic.twitter.com/tI8b1BoCcT

— Moritz Körner (@moritzkoerner) January 16, 2024