"The European Union is a union of values, not a cash machine"

Alexander De Croo: "This European Court judgment is a milestone. Until now, financial misuse of European money was always considered as a purely technical issue. The Court now says that Europe can decide to withhold European money when a country fails to respect the fundamental principles of the rule of law."

Protecting key values

The Prime Minister stressed that the reference to European values in the broad sense by the European Court is of particular importance for Belgium. "This relates to key values such as freedom, democracy, but also the equality of men and women or the rights of LGBTH+ persons. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Member States to claim that these rights are non-binding and that they can set them aside as they see fit. The European Union is a union of values and not a cash machine. This judgment helps us to make that clear.

Support for the European Commission

The fact that the 'rule of law mechanism' was upheld in its entirety is an important step towards protecting fundamental civil rights in Europe. "But it is a judgment, so we are not there yet," the Prime Minister concludes. "Now it is key to keep up the political pressure and support the European Commission more than ever. President von der Leyen has stuck her neck out, the Court now agrees with her, so we must continue to support her."