Hungary has to stay an EU member to access the bloc’s single market, PM Viktor Orban said on Friday.
Also, Hungary and Poland have had arguments with Brussels over several issues, like LGBTQ rights and media freedoms.
The executive European Commission launched legal action in July against both countries for their discriminating measures against the LGBTQ community.
Orban, the conservative nationalist, said the main reason for Hungary’s stay in the EU was not the money from Brussels.
He added that Hungary has a solid financial ground according to this week’s debt sale.
“If you look at the full year, we get more money from Brussels than what we pay,” Orban said.
“However, if you subtract the money western (companies) repatriate from the country each year, the balance is negative,” he added.
“The EU is important for us because it provides Hungary with a market, and we need to stand up for it and stay.”
“No matter how it creaks and crackles, we’ll be among the few still in the EU should it ever end.”
The EC accused Poland and Hungary of undermining media pluralism and court independence, and both countries have been under formal EU investigation.
Vera Jourova, the European Values and Transparency Commissioner, said the EU was a union of values and a community of common standards.
The next EU fund disbursement for investments will make sense to citizens, and its use respects fundamental values, she continued.
Furthermore, “the EU protects funds against misuse and corruption.”
“We really mean it seriously that the EU will not fund projects which do not respect fundamental rights,” she added.
