EU leaders unblock budget in deal with Hungary and Poland

EU leaders, on Thursday (9 December), unblocked the €1.8 trillion budget and Covid-19 recovery fund after they reached a compromise with Hungary and Poland on ways to link EU funds to the respect for rule of law.

The agreement came after intense negotiations over the past few weeks, with the aim of lifting the veto of the two countries, who had argued that the new mechanism aimed at protecting the rule of law in the EU - and already agreed by the European Parliament and 25 member state...