Orban Says Top EU Court Will Likely Reject Rule-of-Law Challenge

(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Hungary's challenge to the European Union's new powers to enforce the rule of law will probably be rejected and called on fellow leaders to rein in the bloc's top court.

Orban accused the European Court of Justice of becoming increasingly “politicized” as it prepares for a Feb. 16 decision on the challenge filed by Hungary and Poland. They are contesting a mechanism that can bring financial penalties against countries that violate rule-of-law standards.

The court is likely to reject the challenge, Orban said, which may subject Hungary and Poland -- the only EU states currently under formal rule-of-law probes -- to fines and loss of aid funds.

He added that such a ruling would side with a “federalist” vision of Europe against nations that want to rein in the EU's ability to dictate rules to individual members.

“Member states shouldn't accept that the EU court makes political decisions for their people and governments,” Orban said in a statement published on his website Friday. “This isn't just about Poland and Hungary, it's the common affair of all European citizens and member states. Wake up!”

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, sent letters to Budapest and Warsaw in November about concerns ranging from systemic corruption to the erosion of judicial independence.

It was a first informal step before triggering a never-before-used mechanism that could deny Poland and Hungary billions of euros in aid.

Both countries replied last week, with Orban's government disputing the legality of the process, according to a person familiar with the contents of the letter. Poland and Hungary are currently illegally ignoring binding EU court rulings.