Errant EU states must be made to pay a price

Guy Verhofstadt writes that illiberal governments like Poland’s and Hungary’s are enriching themselves through EU funds while suppressing democratic processes.

SINCE 2004, when the European Union was enlarged to include many of the former communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, its regional funding mechanism has been heavily geared toward ameliorating economic inequalities between old and “new” member states. To ensure cohesion within the EU, overcoming disparities between countries and improving trade, transport, and communications infrastructure throughout the bloc have long been seen as critical.