Poland and Hungary block EU's coronavirus relief efforts

On Monday, Poland and Hungary blocked the European Union's $888 billion coronavirus relief package, which would have been distributed to the EU's 27 member states.

Poland and Hungary disagreed with a provision that countries must adhere to the rule of law; both Poland and Hungary are currently being investigated by the EU for undermining democratic norms. Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro said during a Monday press conference that the provision is "really about institutional, political enslavement. For a radical limitation of sovereignty."

The coronavirus is raging across Europe, which is experiencing its worst recession since World War II, and Michael Clauss, Germany's ambassador to the EU, said on Monday that the organization has "already lost a lot of time in view of the second pandemic wave and the severe economic damage. It is crucial that the entire package is now adopted quickly, otherwise the EU will face a serious crisis."

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In 2018, the EU spent nearly $7.5 billion in Hungary and gave Poland more than $19 billion. The countries brushed aside this aid in order to deliver a message to the EU, Melissa Hooper, director of human rights and the civil society program at Human Rights First, told ABC News. Hungary and Poland, she said, are "trying to communicate ... that they don't want the EU interfering with their internal proceedings or internal policymaking with respect to their judiciaries" and "in respect to the way they're treating media."