The Polish government shows solidarity with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban after a European Parliament vote to sanction the country for flouting EU rules, Polish Foreign Minister said on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists during joint news conference with his Lithuanian counterpart in Vilnius, Jacek Czaputowicz said Poland would veto the decision about sanctioning Hungary if it came to the discussion at European Union's Council.
"Poland issued the statement that we are against using this article (Article 7) and this path against our Hungarian friends. We think that it is not justified, we stated clearly if it comes to the discussion in the Council we will be against and we will veto that decision if it comes to the sanctions. I think that the European Union tries to exert pressure towards countries of our region and we have to demonstrate solidarity in that case. It is not justified," said Czaputowicz.
The European Parliament voted on Wednesday to launch Article 7 - the punitive process of the European Union treaty's rule-of-law procedure - for the flouting of EU rules on democracy, civil rights and corruption in Hungary. The move is an unprecedented step that leaves Prime Minister Viktor Orban isolated from powerful allies.
The vote has little chance of ending up with the ultimate penalty of Hungary being suspended from voting in the EU if the allies in the Visegrad Group veto and halt the process.
Poland, one of Hungary's allies in Europe, faces a similar sanctions procedure, launched by the executive European Commission in 2017 because of concerns over the independence of the country's judiciary.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 International, Reuters