On Tuesday 8 December, Michael Roth, the German Minister of State for Europe, indicated that the German EU Council Presidency is “doing its utmost to find a solution that can be accepted by all 27 Member States” on the entire package consisting of the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the Economic Recovery Plan, and the mechanism linking the disbursement of funds to respect for the Rule of law.
Hungary and Poland continue to obstruct the adoption of the MFF and the Recovery Plan as long as the text on the table on Rule of law conditionality is not substantially amended (see EUROPE 12616/1).
While many voices are calling to circumvent the Hungarian and Polish veto by sealing an agreement with 25 Member States in order to be able to implement the Recovery Plan, Michael Roth seemed to favour a solution of 27 to resolve the dispute. “At the beginning of the Presidency, in July, we indicated that we want to emerge from the crisis together, in a spirit of solidarity. The Presidency feels bound by this commitment until 31 December”, he said after the meeting of the General Affairs Council on Tuesday. He spoke of a decisive week of behind-the-scenes negotiations to find a solution “in the next few hours, in the next few days”.
He stressed that several ministers on Tuesday reiterated that they did not wish to change the text on the Rule of law mechanism.
In the end, “everything is linked” (MFF, Recovery Plan and Rule of law mechanism) and “we have to take into account a multitude of points of view”, concluded Mr Roth, who seemed to rule out the idea of having the text on Rule of law conditionality approved by qualified majority in the EU Council in the near future.
Poland and Hungary again held discussions on Tuesday to coordinate their positions ahead of the European Council on 10 and 11 December. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)