Germany will consider suspending funding for Slovakia from the European Union budget if Bratislava continues to deviate from the blocʼs common course.
This was stated by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during the WDR Europaforum conference, Bloomberg reports.
According to him, countries that violate the rule of law can be held accountable and deprived of funding from the EU.
Friedrich Merz also mentioned Hungary, which is no longer receiving a significant portion of its funding due to problems with the rule of law. He mentioned that pressure on Budapest should be continued.
The government of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico regularly engages in confrontation with Brussels and is getting closer to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who advocates lifting sanctions on Russia, blocks aid to Ukraine, and travels to Putin.
In Hungary, Orban’s party also proposed a bill this month that would cut financial support for NGOs and media outlets that receive funding from abroad, saying they threaten Hungary’s sovereignty. The bill has been compared to Russia’s “foreign agents” bill.
"We will not be able to avoid conflict with Hungary and Slovakia if we continue on this course. We cannot allow the decisions of the entire EU to depend on the will of a small minority. And here, of course, clearer formulations are needed — and perhaps tougher conflicts," Merz emphasized.
- Germany is an important economic partner of Hungary and Slovakia. Both countries have export-oriented economies, where the automotive industry, in particular Volkswagen, plays a significant role.
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