Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte confirmed in the Dutch parliament the possibility of using the budget "nuclear option". It provides for the approval of the EU budget through an international agreement, disregarding the veto of Poland and Hungary.

Warsaw and Budapest were the only ones at the Monday meeting of EU ambassadors to block the new Multiannual Financial Framework and the "New Generation EU" Reconstruction Fund, aimed at rebuilding the EU economy after the coronavirus pandemic. The package, composed of the budget and the New Generation EU fund, required unanimous approval by states.

The reason for the objection was the regulation, which binds the payment of EU funds to compliance by member states with the rule of law. The regulation was adopted by a qualified majority.

Guy Verhofstadt, MEP, also supports the approval of the budget with the exception of Poland and Hungary. Former Belgian prime minister and chairman of the ALDE Group in the European Parliament said that if the EU allowed Poland and Hungary to veto the budget, it would lose its credibility. In his opinion, such a state of affairs may result in the emergence of "two well-financed autocratic regimes" in Europe.

“If, despite everything, it is not possible to break the deadlock, the EU treaties allow a different solution to be found,” emphasized Verhofstadt. 

In this respect, he referred to the functioning of the euro – the common EU currency, which in practice, however, applies in countries that meet specific conditions at the time of accession. The Belgian suggested that if the Reconstruction Fund is adopted, the procedure should be similar and that it should be applied in those countries that meet the conditions, that is, respect the rule of law. 

(EURACTIV.pl)