EU sanctions procedure against Hungary 'distortion' of rule of law, says justice minister

The Hungarian government's political opponents "have completely distorted" the idea of the rule of law, Justice Minister Judit Varga said in an interview to business weekly Figyelo, adding that this was evidenced by the debate around the ongoing Article 7 procedure against Hungary. The issue of the rule of law can become problematic when it is "used as a weapon against member states that break with the mainstream but still represent a legitimate political stance", Varga said. "This operation has been ongoing against Hungary for years." "Seeing the course of events in the EU, it can be summed up by saying that the rule of law isn't working in countries with anti-immigration governments, but it's prospering in countries that support immigration," the minister argued. Varga firmly rejected the idea of tying receipt of EU funds to compliance with standards regarding the rule of law, arguing that all member states were considered equal under the bloc's basic treaty.