BUDAPEST – Following the European Court of Justice's decision to link the allocation of European funding to the rule of law, Hungary's government has accused the ECJ of political prejudice and misuse of power.
According to sources, the European Union (EU) enacted a mechanism in late 2020 that permits the European Commission, the bloc's executive body, to restrict funds to member states that break the bloc's rule-of-law requirements, such as Hungary and Poland.
Hungary and Poland filed an appeal with the ECJ in March of last year, but the court dismissed their legal case on Wednesday. In a Facebook post, Hungary's Justice Minister Judit Varga said, "The judgement is living evidence that Brussels is abusing its power."
She said the ECJ made "a political decision because of our upcoming referendum on child protection," referring to a law passed last year that prohibits the "promotion" of homosexuality to minors, as well as a government-sponsored referendum on LGBTQ+ rights set to take place on April 3 alongside general elections.
"The verdict is yet another form of pressure on our country," she said, referring to the summer passage of a child protection law.
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