Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

‘Not in treaty’: Hungary’s Orban sides with Poland, rejects EU law primacy ahead of bloc’s summit

‘Not in treaty’: Hungary’s Orban sides with Poland, rejects EU law primacy ahead of bloc’s summit

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has once again challenged the idea of the primacy of EU law, accusing Brussels of attempts to infringe upon the rights of the national governments as he arrived at an EU summit on Thursday.
Orban dismissed the idea of imposing sanctions against Poland over its decision to make EU law subordinate to its national legislation by calling such measures ridiculous. He also praised Poland as “one of the best European countries,” adding that “there is no need for any sanctions.”

Earlier, the EU Commission head, Ursula von der Leyen, warned Warsaw it would face penalties over the move. She said Poland encroached upon the “foundations” of the union. Orban, however, believes that EU law primacy has nothing to do with any EU foundations in the first place.

“The fact is very clear: The primacy of EU law is not in the [EU] treaty at all,” Orban told reporters in Brussels, accusing the bloc of having a thirst for power.

“What’s going on here is... that European institutions circumvent the rights of the national parliament and government, and modify the treaty without having any legitimate authority to do so,” the Hungarian prime minister said.

On Monday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki expressed a similar sentiment when he warned that the EU was becoming a “centrally managed organism run by institutions deprived of democratic control.” Earlier this month, a Warsaw court ruled that areas of EU treaties are incompatible with Poland’s laws and that national laws should take precedence, backing Morawiecki’s government.

Orban had already expressed his support for Warsaw in its standoff with Brussels. In early October, he demanded the EU respect its member states’ sovereignty and said that the bloc could only take primacy in areas specifically set out in EU treaties.

The dispute has become the latest episode in a series of clashes between Poland and EU authorities. Poland’s nationalist Law and Justice party and the EU have frequently clashed over a number of issues, ranging from Poland’s self-declared LGBTQ-free zones to the situation with the rule of law in the country. The law precedence dispute was sparked amid a row over whether EU institutions could influence Warsaw’s plans for reorganizing its judiciary.

It seems, however, that Warsaw and Budapest could have trouble finding other member states to agree with them. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Thursday that European nations have to be “tough” on Poland to make it “safeguard” the independence of its judiciary.

“The independence of the Polish judiciary is the key issue we have to discuss. It is very difficult to see how a big new fund of money could be made available to Poland when this is not settled,” he said.

Ireland’s prime minister, Michael Martin, also expressed his “extreme disappointment” with the developments in Poland and maintained that EU law is needed to protect people across the continent.

“We in Ireland are very concerned, we have good bilateral relations with Poland, but we believe the primacy of EU law and the Court of Justice is critical for the protection of citizens all across Europe,” Martin told reporters as he arrived at the summit.

Warsaw itself seems to be unrelenting. Morawiecki said on Thursday that his nation would not cave in to “blackmail” but said Poland is ready to “talk about how to resolve the current disputes in dialogue.”

He rejected the idea of “ever-expanding competencies” of EU institutions by saying that “some European institutions assume the right to decide on matters that have not been assigned to them.” Still, the prime minister once again ruled out the idea of leaving the bloc.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
×