In an opinion submitted to the
European Court of Justice, which tends to follow the legal opinions the 11
Advocates General, Tamara Capeta recommended in February, 2026 to the Court
that it “should annul the European Commission’s 2023 decision to disburse €10.2
billion” to the E.U. state of Hungary.[1]
Capeta found that the state government had not sufficiently addressed “concerns
over systemic corruption and rule of law violations” to qualify for the payment.[2]
That the Commission released the payment nonetheless points to corruption at
the federal level—in its executive branch in particular—and this charge against
the Von der Leyen administration renders the charge against the Hungarian
government rather ironic. Rule of law should apply (and be respected!) at both
the federal and state levels for the E.U. to continue to be viable. This
applies especially to the Commission, as it is tasked with enforcing E.U. laws,
directives, and regulations as well as treaty obligations that the EU,
including its state governments, have to other countries, whether they are
federal unions (e.g., the U.S.) or independent states.
The full essay is at "The ECJ Castigates the Commission for Paying Off Hungary."
2. Ibid.
