Friedrich Merz, the future chancellor of Germany, calls on the European Union to adopt stricter measures against countries that violate fundamental EU principles, making a subtle reference to Viktor Orban’s Hungary.
Merz wants the European bloc to withhold funds and suspend voting rights for states that do not respect democratic norms.
Implicitly, Merz refers to Hungary, accused for years of undermining democracy, restricting press freedom, and compromising judicial independence, writes Politico.
Merz's Coalition Calls for EU Sanctions Against Viktor Orban and Hungary
According to a coalition agreement draft obtained by Politico, the future chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) have agreed to urge the EU to withhold funds and suspend voting rights for countries that violate fundamental principles, such as the rule of law.
German parties currently negotiating the formation of a coalition must reach an agreement on fundamental principles before officially assuming their roles.
Among the provisional agreements addressing issues such as migration policy, coal phase-out, and social spending, there is also one pressing the European Union to act against countries like Hungary.
"Existing protective tools, from withholding EU funds to suspending membership rights, such as voting rights in the EU Council, must be applied much more consistently than before," wrote negotiators from Merz's conservative bloc and the SPD in the coalition agreement draft on European policy.
The Weimar Triangle
Another point of tension between the EU and the Hungarian government has been Orban's alignment with Moscow, with Budapest frequently using its veto right to block sanctions against Russian oligarchs and military leaders.
To circumvent this veto right, the future German government intends to "support the extension of qualified majority voting in the EU Council, especially in areas of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), such as imposing sanctions." Thus, decisions could be made without Hungary's approval.
The coalition negotiators aim to take on a more active role on the European stage, using the Weimar Triangle, an alliance between France, Germany, and Poland, to shape EU policy.
Under the previous SPD-led government of Olaf Scholz, Germany's relations with France and Poland deteriorated, according to the cited source.
"In the Weimar Triangle, we will seek close coordination on all relevant European policy issues to act more united in the service of the EU as a whole," the agreement draft states.
Merz's conservatives aim to address Germany's abstention from crucial EU votes, known as the "German vote." Typically, Germany abstains when ministries disagree on EU policy. Merz promises that under his leadership, there will be no such abstentions for essential decisions.
However, there are differences between conservatives and the SPD on how to handle this. Conservatives want Merz to coordinate positions from the outset, while the SPD prefers the interministerial principle.
The coalition could sign the final agreement by mid-April.