Poland and Hungary’s efforts to welcome hundreds and thousands of refugees is commendable, but that should not exonerate them from respecting the values which are upheld by the European Union, including the rule of law.
Addressing a press briefing on the margins of the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, EPP Chairman Manfred Weber, insisted that his group’s stance on the situation in the two Eastern countries will not change, but argued that voting on this issue this week made no sense in view of the current developments.
MEPs will be voting tomorrow on a resolution assessing the implications of the recent ECJ decision to uphold the Rule of Law conditionality regulation, with MEPs expected to reiterate calls for the Commission to act without delay and trigger the said mechanism, which could potentially mean blocking EU funding from these countries.
Last year, Poland and Hungary had challenged this regulation in the EU Courts, but both appeals were dismissed. Weber recalled that ultimately Ukrainians are fighting for European values such as democracy and freedom, making it imperative that such values are upheld in Member States.
Weber also tackled the current developments in Ukraine, calling for a stronger European investment in its own security, particularly in cyber-defence, and possibly, even through a missile defence system, a matter which should be tackled by Heads of State later this week in Versailles.
Questioned whether such investment would take place in the context of NATO, Weber said that the EU will have to see in which areas it can provide additional value to the transatlantic alliance.
CDE News – Strasbourg
Image via Mr Weber’s Twitter page.
