Hungarian prime minister seeks parliament's backing in EU budget talks

The EU is set to spend 750 billion euros ($850 billion) on aiding economic recovery in member states hardest hit by the pandemic. The resolution also says financial resources from the EU should not be tied to "political or ideological conditions - under the label of rule of law." Parliament, where Fidesz has a strong majority, will vote on the resolution on Tuesday.

Hungary's nationalist government will seek parliamentary support on Tuesday to press the European Union to distribute the bloc's coronavirus rescue package fairly and not to make EU funds conditional on rule-of-law conditions. EU leaders meet this week to agree details of the bloc's 2021-28 budget and post-pandemic recovery.

Lawmakers from Hungary's ruling Fidesz party submitted a draft resolution last week saying the government should ensure that citizens of poorer EU countries will not receive less money than richer ones. The EU is set to spend 750 billion euros ($850 billion) on aiding economic recovery in member states hardest hit by the pandemic.

The resolution also says financial resources from the EU should not be tied to "political or ideological conditions - under the label of rule of law." Parliament, where Fidesz has a strong majority, will vote on the resolution on Tuesday. "We can only accept a rescue package that is non-political and does not want the budget to serve false ideologies," Tamas Schanda, state secretary of the Ministry of Information and Technology, said on Monday.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has clashed with the EU executive, the European Commission, over perceived backsliding from democratic governance. He has said the EU's coronavirus recovery plan will be unacceptable if funding is linked to rule-of-law conditions and that Budapest could veto the deal as a last resort.

The government does not legally require parliament's support but Orban wants a show of unity over Hungary's stance. The resolution also says EU proceedings against Hungary and Poland for flouting democratic rules "must be closed" before the EU budget and rescue plan are approved.

Bence Tordai, a member of the opposition Parbeszed party, said Fidesz's proposal amounted to "blackmailing other EU member states" to let Fidesz do whatever it wants in Hungary. ($1 = 0.8818 euros)

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