World

EU Parliament sues Commission over release of frozen funds to Hungary

Published

2 years ago

March 16, 2024

EU Parliament sues Commission over release of frozen funds to Hungary

The European Parliament has made good on its threat and will file a lawsuit against the European Commission over the release of €10.2 billion in frozen funds to Hungary.

The move, anticipated on Monday evening, was rubber-stamped on Thursday morning by the Parliament’s president, Roberta Metsola, during a meeting with the leaders of the political groups. Metsola has the final authority to launch legal action against other institutions before the European Court of Justice.

The deadline for submission is 25 March.

With the lawsuit, the hemicycle piles pressure on Ursula von der Leyen as she seeks a second term at the helm of the Commission and vows to stand firm on the rule of law, a sensitive issue that has absorbed considerable energy of her first mandate.

Von der Leyen’s family, the European People’s Party (EPP), did not oppose Thursday’s vote but, in a statement, put the blame on the entire College of Commissioners, rather than on the president herself.

“We want to make sure that taxpayers’ money has been treated in accordance with the Treaties. This is not a political issue for the EPP, this is not an election issue – we only want to have legal clarity,” said MEP Petri Sarvamaa.

The ire of lawmakers stems from the decision taken by the Commission in December that unblocked €10.2 billion in cohesion funds for Hungary, which the country had been unable to access due to persistent deficiencies in the rule of law.

The executive argued the release was justified because Budapest had in May last year passed a reform to strengthen judicial independence and mitigate political interference in the courts, in line with four “super milestones” that Brussels had imposed.

Lawmakers, echoing the concerns expressed by civil society, challenged the reasoning and said the overhaul was not up to the task. They also complained the money had been unfrozen one day before a crucial summit of EU leaders in which Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had threatened to veto key agreements on Ukraine.

In a scorching resolution broadly approved in January, MEPs raised the prospect of legal action and stressed that “in no way can the EU give in to blackmail and trade the strategic interests of the EU and its allies by renouncing its values.”

“Hungary does not meet the standard of judicial independence set out in the (EU treaties) as the measures adopted do not ensure sufficient safeguards against political influence and can be either circumvented or inadequately applied,” they wrote.

Days later, MEPs grilled Commissioners Didier Reynders (Justice), Nicolas Schmit (Jobs) and Johannes Hahn (Budget) for striking what they said was a backroom deal with Orbán to ensure the lifting of his veto in exchange for the €10.2 billion. They also complained the validation of the judicial reform was rushed and the executive should have waited to see results on the ground before releasing the cash.

The three Commissioners stood their ground and insisted Hungary had provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate compliance with the four “super milestones,” which included measures to strengthen the National Judicial Council, a self-governing supervisory board, and crack down on political meddling inside the Supreme Court.

A similar argument was voiced on Thursday by a spokesperson, who said the Commission was “under a legal obligation” to partially release the money because Hungary had demonstrated “the independence of its judiciary.”

“The Commission recalls that when taking such a decision it is bound by strict timelines and conditions set out in the applicable Union legislation,” a spokesperson said, in reaction to the Parliament’s lawsuit. “The Commission considers it acted in full compliance with EU law and will defend its decision before the EU court.”

As of today, Brussels is still withholding nearly €12 billion from Hungary’s allocated share of cohesion funds and most of its €10.4-billion recovery and resilience plan, a situation that Orbán has repeatedly denounced as “financial blackmail.”

Each envelope is subject to different sets of conditions that require legislative changes in fields like LGBTQ+ rights, asylum policy, public procurement and anti-corruption. Commission officials have said that little to no progress has been made in this regard.

In their January resolution, MEPs warned the funds that remain blocked “must be treated as a single, integral package, and that no payments should be made even if progress is made in one or more areas but deficiencies still persist in another.”

This is not the first time the Parliament has resorted to the high court in Luxembourg to force the Commission’s hand. In October 2021, the hemicycle filed a lawsuit against the executive for its “failure to apply” a novel mechanism that linked payments of EU funds to respect for the bloc’s fundamental rights.

This piece has been updated with more information about the lawsuit.

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World

Investors brace for a bigger backlash from Middle East war

Published

5 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Investors brace for a bigger backlash from Middle East war

From being just a fringe risk, conflict in the Middle East has become a top worry for investors unsettled by the prospect of a power struggle in Iran and a protracted regional war, with ramifications for everything from global trade to inflation.

World

Tel Aviv analyst shelters from 30 missile sirens in 48 hours, says Iran ‘won’t recover’

Published

6 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Tel Aviv analyst shelters from 30 missile sirens in 48 hours, says Iran ‘won’t recover’

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The past 48 hours in Tel Aviv have been unlike anything seen before, a leading security analyst has said, as sirens blared amid missile threats following Operation Epic Fury and U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran.

“We are facing a biblical event — nothing less,” Kobi Michael, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute, told Fox News Digital, speaking from his shelter in the city.

Like many Israelis, Michael said he had spent hours in reinforced rooms during the ongoing barrage, adding that he was “very experienced in this.”

“But this all requires time and determination, and I do hope that Trump will also have them both,” he said, speaking shortly after the president released a video message stating that the military operation would continue “until all of our objectives are achieved.”

Explosions from projectile interceptions by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system over Tel Aviv. (JACK GUEZ / AFP via Getty Images)

“Trump is the only one who can make the change — and that change will impact the entire region and the international order for years to come,” Michael added.

As of Sunday, Tel Aviv remained under a state of emergency following Iranian missile attacks that caused casualties and widespread damage.

According to The Associated Press, Iranian missile and drone strikes have killed approximately 11 Israeli civilians and wounded dozens more in retaliation for the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.

Shrapnel from missile impacts damaged at least 40 buildings in Tel Aviv, and authorities reported at least one death in the area from falling debris.

The Philippine Embassy in Israel confirmed the death of a Filipino national after a missile strike hit Tel Aviv on Saturday.

TOMAHAWKS, B-2 STEALTH BOMBERS AND ATTACK DRONES POUND OVER 1,000 IRANIAN TARGETS IN 24-HOUR BLITZ

People take shelter as Iran launched missiles and drones towards Israel following the US-Israeli attacks. ( Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“We enter our shelter once the siren is heard and stay there until the Home Front Command announces that we can leave,” Michael said.

“Usually, it is about 20 to 30 minutes — unless there are further sirens during our stay. Since yesterday morning, it has happened around 30 times.”

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog also visited an impact site in Tel Aviv Sunday, delivering a message of resilience.

“The people of Israel and the people of Iran can live in peace. The region can live in peace. But what undermines peace time and again is terror instigated by this Iranian regime,” Herzog said.

EXILED IRANIAN CROWN PRINCE SAYS US STRIKES MARK ‘BEGINNING OF THE VERY END’ FOR REGIME

Israeli emergency service officer walks past building debris at the scene of a Iranian missile attack. (Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP via Getty Images)

Following the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and roughly 40 senior Iranian officials, Iran formed a provisional leadership council.

Iran named Ayatollah Alireza Arafi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i to lead roles.

“The Supreme Leader did not complete the necessary groundwork regarding his own succession,” Michael added.

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“Pezeshkian will face very troubling challenges due to their heavy losses, severe disruptions to control and command systems, and the massive bombing and attacks across Iran, including Tehran,” he said.

“Even if this regime doesn’t collapse, it will never be able to reconstitute itself, recover or return to its previous position,” Michael added.

Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture.

World

Israel FM says Europe too divided, slams Spanish PM

Published

7 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Israel FM says Europe too divided, slams Spanish PM

Israeli minister Gideon Sa’ar said Europe “does not have unified position” on what role it should play in Iran as European ministers sought to establish a joint approach Sunday.

As Israel and the United States conducted a joint military strike on Iran, leading to the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Europe was kept on the sidelines.

EU member states did not participate in the operation and, in some cases, they were not informed prior as it is customary among strategic allies.

Asked whether Israel sought to keep Europe on the margins, Sa’ar said internal divisions within EU member states had kept them out of critical exchanges of operational details, unlike the United States, which the minister described as his country’s greatest ally.

“In Europe, you have all kinds of approaches,” he told Euronews. “You have countries like the Czech Republic which is strongly supporting this operation and then you have Spain, which is standing with all the tyrants of the world.”

On Saturday, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez was among the most critical voices in Europe, suggesting the US-Israeli strikes on Iran risk plunging the region into total war.

“We reject the unilateral military action of the United States and Israel, which represents an escalation and contributes to a more uncertain and hostile international order,” Sánchez said Saturday. The Spanish PM reiterated that message on Sunday.

“We urge for de-escalation and call to respect international law in all conflicts,” Sánchez added. “You can be against a heinous regime, like the Iranian regime, while also rejecting a military intervention that is unjustified, dangerous and outside of international law.”

Sa’aar said Israel considers the operation “fully justified” citing the right to self-defense from a regime that “has called for the destruction of Israel” and lashed at the Spanish prime minister for sending an “anti-Israeli, anti-American message.”

“Read the statement, they are standing with Iran!” he added.

When asked if any of his European counterparts had manifested an interest in joining the military operation or provide support on the ground, Sa’ar said he held multiple exchanges with European ministers over the weekend and suggested that “if others want to join, they will know have to convey the message.”

On Sunday, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appeared to back regime change in Iran in line with Israel and the US, saying that the “risk of further escalation is real. This is why a credible transition in Iran is urgently needed” in comments on Sunday.

Sa’ar told Euronews said the strategic strikes and the elimination of Khamenei alongside top regime commanders could “create the conditions to weaken the regime enough to allow the Iranians to take their future into their own hands”.

“The future leadership of Iran should be determined by the Iranian people through free elections. Our only requirement is that whoever comes to power in Iran must not pursue the destruction of Israel,” he said.

Watch the full interview on Euronews from 8pm CET