Should the money from the post-Covid European recovery fund only go to countries which respect the rule of law and fundamental democratic values? The question was asked in a Eurobarometer survey published this Friday by the European Parliament. Result: more than 8 out of 10 citizens answer in the affirmative. What consolidates the position of the European Parliament.
“The European Parliament has made it clear that EU stimulus funds should not go to governments that do not respect fundamental democratic principles or the rule of law. An overwhelming majority of EU citizens fully agree with this position. And, by the way, the survey also shows concerns in a number of countries about how national governments will actually use these additional EU funds.“, reacts Jaume Duch Guillot, spokesperson for the institution.
Only 44% of those questioned say they trust their national leaders to use the European recovery money well. 41% do not trust and 15% do not speak out.
On the question of the rule of law, Hungary and Poland are at the heart of the concerns. Independence of the judiciary, LGBT rights, the subjects of contention are increasing with the European Commission. Budapest and Warsaw contested the legality of the conditionality mechanism for the payment of aid. The Court of Justice of the European Union is expected to rule by November. In the meantime, the billions of euros intended for the two member states remain in abeyance.
Reference-feedproxy.google.com