Brussels Reaffirms: It Would Take Hungary to Court If EC Grants Funding

The European Parliament is engaged in a fierce battle with the European Commission following the latter's decision to unblock some frozen funds for Hungary.

Párizs, 2024. január 5. Ursula von der Leyen, az Európai Bizottság elnöke (b) és Roberta Metsola, az Európai Parlament elnöke Jacques Delorsnak, az Európai Bizottság korábbi elnökének búcsúztatási szertartásán a párizsi Invalidusok dómja díszudvarán 2024. január 5-én. Jacques Delors 2023. december 27-én hunyt el 98 éves korában. MTI/EPA/Reuters pool/Stephanie Lecocq Fotó: Stephanie Lecocq

Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament (EP), has raised the issue of taking the European Commission to court with the Conference of Presidents, despite not being required to do so by the Rules of Procedure. Behind the EP's furor is the Commission's decision to unfreeze certain funds for Hungary, after it deemed that their preconditions have been fulfilled by the government.

The Conference of Presidents, comprised of the European Parliament's President and the chairmen of the political groups (along with one non-voting member), is responsible for organizing and coordinating the work of the European Parliament.

During the Conference of Presidents, it was affirmed by participants - with the exception of the Conservative party leaders and the President of the left-leaning EPP - that the President of the European Parliament will direct the Legal Service to prepare legal proceedings, as outlined in the Rules of Procedure.

Despite the EPP's increasing alignment with the leftist-liberal mainstream in recent years, it could not offer wholehearted support for the initiative due to Ursula von der Leyen, their own candidate, serving as the committee chair.

In response to our paper's previous inquiry, Fidesz MEP Ernő Schaller-Baross commented on the issue.

From a legal standpoint, the European Parliament's action appears nonsensical because the  EP is turning to the European Court of Justice in order to enforce its political demand through legal means, disregarding legal constraints. It expects the Court of Justice of the European Union to nullify the European Commission's decision to unlock EU funds due to Hungary, arguing that it failed to adequately consider the European Parliament's political arguments,

– explained the MEP, contextualizing the developments. The excessive legalization of democracy and politics, or allowing political bias to infiltrate legal procedures in the functioning of the EU is a dangerous direction, he added.

Cover photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola (Photo: MTI/EPA/Reuters/Stephanie Lecocq)