THE European Union’s historic 1.8 trillion-euro (US$2.1 trillion) budget and stimulus package is in danger of being delayed due to a disagreement among member states about how to enforce the adherence to democratic values, according to a spokesman for the German Government.

“We observe with concern that the number of different blockades in the budget negotiations seems to be increasing rather than decreasing,” said the spokesman of the German presidency of the EU. “A delay of the EU budget and the recovery fund is becoming increasingly likely.”

The economic recovery package, which includes 750 billion euros in jointly backed debt and a 1.07 trillion-euro common EU budget, is meant to help combat the steepest recession in the bloc’s history, and needs the approval of all 27 member countries.

But the nations can’t agree on how to make sure the money isn’t misappropriated by countries where democratic checks and balances are weak.

Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the bloc, offered a proposal this week that would suspend payouts from the budget if a weighted majority of nations assessed a rule-of-law breach.

The draft was rejected by Hungary and Poland, with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki calling it “political blackmail” dressed up as concern for democratic values.

EU diplomats met Tuesday and reconvened yesterday in Brussels to try to reach a deal based on the German proposal. “We are dealing with a very polarized debate,” the German presidency spokesman said after Tuesday’s meeting.

The Hungarian and Polish governments, both criticized for extending political influence over the courts, media and culture three decades after the transition from communism, have vowed to fight the draft measures. Hungary and Poland are the only two member states that are currently subject to formal EU rule-of-law probes.

A group of rich nations, including Finland and the Netherlands, also reject the current proposal, arguing it doesn’t go far enough. “There is dissatisfaction and criticism at both ends of the spectrum,” the German spokesman said.

Hungary said the proposal amounted to a “unilateral amendment” of EU treaties that would require support from all member states. EU leaders agreed at their July summit on “a mechanism to protect the budget of the EU and not on another rule-of-law mechanism,” Justice Minister Judit Varga said. (SD-Agencies)