From the Visegrad Group to the Warsaw-Budapest binomial

By C. Radut
For several months now, Budapest and Warsaw have been escalating relations with Brussels, accusing the EU and the European Parliament of interfering in the independence of the judiciary, the rule of law and national sovereignty.
Warsaw has fallen into the trap of the arrogant Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and together last week they used the veto to block the multi-annual budget for 2021-2027 and the European recovery plan.
The action of Poland and Hungary bothered especially Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, but also other states, such as the Netherlands, France.
Surprisingly, the solidarity of the Visegrad group did not work. Neither the Czechia, nor Slovakia joined the “friends” in the group, so Warsaw and Budapest remained isolated.
This is not gratifying because it shows that the EU is functioning according to the interests of the great powers and their ever-present demands to rule the present and the future of the Union.
The veiled threats of Germany and its friends to sanction the two states by cutting European funds are not viable, with such a procedure seriously violating the principles of the functioning of the EU.
But differences between Brussels and the two Eastern capitals have escalated domestic problems. At least Warsaw and the whole of Poland have been in turmoil for weeks because of regulations regarding the complete repeal of abortion, the resurgence of right-wing extremism, the role of the Catholic Church in society and the claims of the ruling party Law and Justice (PiS) to hold all power by force and intimidation. Jarosław Kaczyński, PiS president and deputy prime minister, is now the target of attacks from both the opposition and members of his own party.
In Budapest, things do not seem as explosive as in Warsaw because Viktor Orban has held the position of autocrat in Hungarian society for many years.
Poland and Hungary should apply to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to express their doubts about the mechanism linking access to European funds to the rule of law, instead of blocking the Community budget for 2021-2027, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was quoted as saying by Reuters and EFE on Wednesday.
The suggestion by the head of the Commission is one of the possible ways that EU officials have discussed informally to overcome the situation caused by the veto of Warsaw and Budapest, which blocks the European budget of 1.8 trillion euros (2.14 trillion dollars) which includes recovery funds following the crisis generated by COVID-19.
During a debate in the European Parliament, von der Leyen stressed that the EU rule that only governments that respect the rule of law can have access to European funds should be applied only to protect EU budgetary funds.
However, the conflict between the two capitals of the East and Brussels creates a major breach in the unity and solidarity of the EU.
But we do not believe in the bad predictions of billionaire George Soros.