Hungary: EU is ideologically blackmailing us

Hungary will never give in to the European Union’s “ideological blackmailing” of including a clause within the EU’s budget tying funding to the rule of law in the bloc, the country’s justice minister has said.

Money should be given to those member states that are in need of it, Judit Varga told BBC Hardtalk.

The focus should be on Covid and the economic crisis, she added.

Approval of the EU’s budget, which includes a €750bn (£673bn; $888bn) for a Covid-19 recovery fund, was blocked by Hungary and Poland on Monday.

Watch the full interview on Tuesday 17 November 2020 on BBC World News or watch again on BBC iPlayer (UK only)