Hungary will never allow to be “blackmailed” on ideological grounds, Justice Minister Judit Varga said in connection with the Hungarian and Polish veto of the EU’s next budget in an interview to Polish public broadcaster TVP. Hungary will be the European Union’s constructive partner in evaluating proposals for the EU’s 2021-2027 budget, she said. “But one thing is for sure: Hungary will not allow ideological blackmail, and will never accept the principle that a member state rejecting to accept immigrants is not governed by the rule of law,” Varga said. In the next period, “only politically and legally acceptable solutions can be brought to the table,” she said. Further talks must be held in the spirit of solidarity that brought about the compromise at the EU summit in July, she said. The German presidency’s steps regarding the EU budget have nothing to do with laws and legal guarantees, but are meant to exert political and ideological pressure, Varga said. Poland and Hungary clearly stated their position on the budget when the draft budget was first tabled, she said. As “allies”, they “gave warning in a fair and loyal way” to other EU partner states early on that they would never accept the set of conditions that served to “blackmail” certain member states, Varga said. Hungary and Poland do not bear the responsibility for changes of the budget since the July compromise between the European Parliament and the German presidency, she said. “The responsibility lies with those who override the historic July agreement,” Varga said.