The biggest challenge for the EU at the moment is not Brexit, although it is a right royal pain. But how to deal with right wing authoritarian governments in Hungary and Poland.
In both countries freely elected parties seem to think that winning one election and wrapping themselves in the flag makes everything they do legal and patriotic and their opponents enemies of the people. Populists call outsiders the enemy and create a siege mentality, give very conservative voters what they want, tell them anti-racism is the real threat and liberals are traitors and pretty soon they are banning newspapers, rigging the legal system and demonising immigrants.
The EU does not want to suspend, punish or throw out these countries and knows any attempt to even discourage nationalism and bigotry only fuel the fire created by the populists in the first place.
But the EU will have to do something soon, you cannot stay in a club and break the rules.
https://jonty.substack.com/
Absolutely correct. I’m more than a little frustrated with the EU’s stance on this. Diplomacy aside, they need to show their teeth on this matter.