NPR

How Poland And Hungary Are Forming A Powerful Tag Team Against Brussels

While some EU leaders seek unity over budgets and refugee policies, member states Poland and Hungary are building a unified front to thwart the bloc's plans.
Hungarian Akos Szepessy, 49, pours shots of chilled vodka and raspberry syrup called <em>Teraz</em> <em>Polska</em>, meaning<em> </em>"Now, Poland," because it forms the red and white colors of the Polish flag. It's a favorite drink at a bar in Budapest called Gdansk that he and his Polish wife own and named for the Polish port city on the Baltic.

Hungary and Poland have come to each other's defense on and off since the Middle Ages. And they are doing so now as the European Union increases pressure on the two countries to tamp down what Brussels views as their attacks on democracy.

The power of their alliance was evident during a meeting Thursday in Brussels between European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. The two were trying to resolve concerns the EU has about the independence of Poland's courts after the government dramatically increased its control of the judiciary. That action led the European Commission

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