Patriots for Europe fail to block EU budget rule-of-law conditionality (euobserver.com)

• PfE attempt to strip conditionality defeated
• Rule-of-law mechanism remains central to EU funding
• Parliamentary majority reinforces democratic standards

"The 'Patriots for Europe' group, led by Viktor Orbán, failed to remove rule-of-law conditionality clauses from the upcoming EU long-term budget. The European Parliament maintained mechanisms that allow the EU to withhold funds from member states violating fundamental democratic principles, securing a major victory for budgetary discipline and institutional integrity."