ECJ dismisses Hungary and Poland’s complaints over rule-of-law measure

Prime ministers Mateusz Morawiecki (left) of Poland and Viktor Orbán of Hungary. Photograph: László Balogh/AP

The European court of justice has dismissed complaints from Hungary and Poland against a law that ties EU funds to democratic standards.

In a milestone in the battle for the rule of law in the EU, the bloc’s highest court rejected the cases brought by Hungary and Poland “in their entirety”, confirming that countries can be deprived of EU funds when they fail to meet democratic standards.