Optimism on EU Budget Deal Clouded by Hungarian, Polish Demands
- Two sides are ‘one centimeter’ away from agreement, Orban says
- Hungary, Poland blocking $2.2 trillion plan over rule of law
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Hungary and Poland voiced optimism that a deal to unblock the European Union’s $2.2 trillion budget and stimulus plan is within reach, even as they reiterated demands that the bloc has already rejected.
The two countries have been discussing a political compromise that would clarify how a rule-of-law mechanism would be attached to the spending plan. They’ve threatened to veto the package over their opposition to funds being tied to democratic standards that have been at the heart of repeated clashes with Brussels.