Hungary-Poland veto 'improper' says Gualtieri

(ANSA) - ROME, 19 NOV - Hungary and Poland's vetoing the EU's COVID Recovery Fund due to conditionality on rule of law is "improper" Economy Minister Roberto Gulatieri said Thursday.
    The minister described the position of Poland and Hungary as "doubly improper" both in contents, because a "balanced compromise" had been reached on rule of law, and because "it transfers dissatisfaction" from a non-veto procedure to "a veto on one's own resources".
    Gualtieri said the whole of the EU needed the 750 billion euros Next Generation EU scheme to get off the ground.
    He said he was confident the dispute could be resolved next month.
    "An OK for the rules of the Recovery Fund is possible in December", he said.
    He said he was "satisfied" by improvements made at October's ECOFIN meeting.
    As well as vetoing the Recovery Fund because of alleged interference in their controversial rule of law policies, Poland and Hungary also vetoed the EU's multi-year budget, for a total of 1.8 trillion euros.
    Slovenia showed support for their stance on Wednesday.
    Meanwhile European Affairs Minister Enzo Amendola denied reports that there was "alarm" in the EU over Italy's plans to get its 209 billion euro chunk of the Recovery Fund.
    He described reports that the European Commission was alarmed at an alleged delay in presenting Italy's plans as "groundless".
    (ANSA).