Deputy head of the European Parliament after the judgment of the CJEU: To activate the mechanism of “money for the rule of law”

The prevailing opinion in the European Parliament is that the European Commission should have acted a long time ago and did not have to wait for the judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU to activate the “money for the rule of law” mechanism against Poland and Hungary, assessed Katarina Barley, MEP of the German SPD, in an interview for Rheinische Post “.

– We expect that after the verdict, it will finally activate the mechanism and withhold funds until judges in Poland can rule independently again, and money will not disappear in the corrupt Orban system – said the MEP from the German SPD.

The interview for the “Rheinische Post” was given before the CJEU announced its judgment on Wednesday (16/02/2022), but the conversation shows that Barley did not expect that judges in Luxembourg would question the “money for” mechanism.

Polish-Hungarian blockade

According to Barley, this mechanism is “a strong instrument against the dismantling of the rule of law.”

– I have the impression that the financial consequences are starting to work at least. At the same time, the payment of funds from the Reconstruction Fund was limited. This is over EUR 20 billion. This financial pressure led to the fact that the Polish president made proposals on how the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court could be reformed. It’s not enough yet, but it’s a signal that something is moving about it, ”Barley said.

She also stressed that all polls show that Polish society is the most friendly towards the EU.

– also does not publicly consider exiting from. He is making Brussels an external opponent to close the ranks inside. He is encouraged by the example of Hungary, which has been following this path for five years longer and has realized that the European Union is not defending itself sufficiently, says Barley.

She did not rule out that Poland and Hungary would now jointly block European decisions requiring unanimity to “improve their position” and would support each other in the rule of law procedure, preventing the imposition of sanctions.

– You can also be afraid of the imitation effect. Slovenia has taken a similar path, says Barley.

Freeze von der Leyen’s salaries

In turn, the daily “Die Welt” writes in its online edition that German MEPs from the liberal FDP propose to freeze the salaries of the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and her closest associates until the Commission activates the “money for the rule of law” mechanism.

In the negotiations on the EU budget for 2023, such a proposal is being submitted by FDP MEP Moritz Koerner, informs Die Welt.

The head of the budgetary control committee in the EP, German Monika Hohlmeier from the Christian Democrat CSU said that the proposal was “ridiculous” and legally impossible to implement. However, she also found that after the announcement of the judgment on the “money for the rule of law” mechanism, the EP expects ” prompt and consistent action “from the European Commission.