Von der Leyen tells Poland and Hungary to go to court

Von der Leyen told MEPs the new rules were about the violations of the rule of law that are threatening the EU budget, and "only that".

"It is very difficult to imagine anybody in Europe who would possibly have anything against that principle," she said.

"Anyone still in doubt has a clear path, they can go to the European Court of Justice and allow the new rules to be tested there," the German head of the EU executive said.

"That is the place where differences of opinion about legislative texts are usually settled and it is not done at the expense of millions and millions of European citizens who are urgently waiting for our help," she added.

Von der Leyen's comments came on the eve of a one-day visit of Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki to Budapest to coordinate with Hungary's PM Viktor Orban.

The German EU presidency is leading negotiations to bring Hungary and Poland onboard, after most member states and the majority of the European Parliament backed the rule-of-law link.

'Irresponsible'

On Wednesday, most political groups in the parliament supported the new mechanism, stressing MEPs' opposition to any changes to the negotiated compromise.

German MEP Manfred Weber, group leader of the centre-right European People's Party (where Hungary's ruling party, Fidesz is a member - albeit, currently suspended) called the blockade "irresponsible".

Weber pushed back against claims from Warsaw and Budapest that the tool would be used for political pressure.

"The idea that EU is trying to organise how abortions should be carried out in Poland is quite simply a lie," he said, in reference to recent Polish moves to ban almost all legal abortions.

Weber also echoed that if Hungary thinks the rule-of-law link infringes the EU treaties, it should go to the EU's top court.

Socialist group leader, MEP Iratxe Gacria, reiterated that the parliament will "not change a comma" in the agreement.

Liberal leader, Romanian MEP Dacian Ciolos, rebuked the Budapest government for its argument that the EU somehow resembles the former Soviet Union.

"Accusing the EU of being Soviet in its approach is ridiculous, particularly when you are behaving like a despot yourself, and you are waiting in line in front of the Kremlin for the first box of vaccines," Ciolos said, referring to the Hungarian decision to test and possibly manufacture the Russian coronavirus vaccine.

Only the far-right Identity and Democracy and the conservative European Conservatives and Reformists group - of which Poland's governing Law and Justice party is a member - as party groups backed Hungary and Poland's blockade.

MEP Marco Zanni from Italy's League argued that those not anticipating Hungary and Poland's block were responsible for the budget delay, saying they "continue to use the rules in a political manner to punish those who aren't line with a certain way of thinking".

Former Polish prime minister, MEP Beata Szydlo, said rule of law was doing well in Poland.

"This is an attempt by the majority to push through principles that are not in the treaties, and that EU has never discussed nor adopted," she argued.

Poland and Hungary are both under EU scrutiny for breaching European rules and values.