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McGrath à Euronews: la Hongrie doit se réformer pour son peuple, pas pour l’UE
Entretien avec Euronews : le commissaire européen à la Justice tempère l’espoir d’un déblocage rapide des fonds de l’UE gelés pour la Hongrie
LIRE L’ARTICLE : http://fr.euronews.com/2026/05/29/mcgrath-a-euronews-la-hongrie-doit-se-reformer-pour-son-peuple-pas-pour-lue
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Entretien avec Euronews : le commissaire européen à la Justice tempère l’espoir d’un déblocage rapide des fonds de l’UE gelés pour la Hongrie
LIRE L’ARTICLE : http://fr.euronews.com/2026/05/29/mcgrath-a-euronews-la-hongrie-doit-se-reformer-pour-son-peuple-pas-pour-lue
Abonnez-vous à notre chaine. Euronews est disponible sur Dailymotion en 12 langues
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NewsTranscription
00:07Hello and welcome to the programme, I'm Stefan Grobe.
00:11My guest today has been described as conservative, both socially and economically,
00:16with an excellent grasp of economics and a strong attention to detail.
00:20Something that served him well when he was Irish Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure,
00:26and now as EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection.
00:33Michael McGrath, thank you for coming on the show today.
00:36Thank you, Stefan. Pleasure to be here with you.
00:38So, when I was researching your approach to politics, I found this quote of yours, and it goes like this,
00:46everyone should have the opportunity to progress irrespective of their background,
00:50there should be a safety net for everyone who needs it.
00:53Now, to me, that doesn't sound like a conservative politician, that sounds like Obama.
00:59Well, I'm not sure about these labels anymore, but I'm happy to talk about myself and my views and my
01:06journey,
01:07and I think that quote reflects where I came from.
01:10I came from a very normal, humble, working-class background in Cork, in Ireland,
01:15and had the great opportunity through education to progress and to follow my own dreams,
01:23which ultimately led me into national politics and now European politics.
01:27So the point I was making there was that every person deserves to have that opportunity to progress
01:36and to create a better future for themselves and their families.
01:40And that is what good societies and good economies can create, is that opportunity for progression.
01:46And it has to be coupled with the safety net that I referred to there,
01:51because there will be times in people's lives and there will be people in circumstances where support is needed.
01:58And I think in Europe, we have a very strong social market economy, and I think that, in many ways,
02:04is our USP.
02:05You started your political career when you were in your early 20s as a local council member.
02:13Now, that vast experience in Irish politics, what did it teach you to tackle the issues here in Brussels?
02:21It taught me the importance of staying connected to people that you represent,
02:28which in electoral politics, that is your role.
02:30It's a representational role.
02:32In Irish politics, in particular, elected representatives are very close to the people that they represent
02:39and are really anchored in their local communities.
02:42And if you don't continue with that work, even as a member of parliament and even as a government minister,
02:48you will not be re-elected.
02:50For me, I started at the age of 22 in my local town, where the population was about 5,000
02:56people,
02:57ran in my first election and served at the most local level of democracy
03:02and then moved up through the different levels.
03:04So it taught me the importance of listening to people,
03:08trying to understand where people were coming from on different issues
03:12and doing your best to represent them and also to provide leadership.
03:16Is Irish politics body sport?
03:18It's tough, but I think politics everywhere is tough now and I think it has changed through the currency of
03:25social media as well.
03:27That's certainly the big shift that I experienced and I saw from the time that I came into politics
03:32to the time that I left Irish politics to become a European commissioner.
03:38It is 24-7, but the scrutiny and indeed the abuse and the online commentary can be difficult for some
03:47people to grapple with.
03:49And I think we do have to think about safety in politics in the broadest we will bring forward a
03:57European commission recommendation on safety in politics.
04:00But for me it's crucial that we remove barriers to entry and that people who have something to offer
04:06and who are willing to become involved in public life take on that challenge.
04:12It's crucial that they do and that we have a new generation of people coming through.
04:17You are the EU's commissioner for democracy and rule of law.
04:21But across Europe, trust in democratic institutions is falling.
04:28Where do you think has the EU failed its citizens?
04:35Why is that the case?
04:37Well, I think it's a complex story and we have 27 member states
04:41and you will find different levels of satisfaction and indeed trust across the European Union.
04:49I think it's important that politics delivers for people.
04:53If people feel that there is a disconnect between them and their aspirations and their concerns
05:00with what is being conducted in politics, then inevitably their level of trust and their level of support will diminish.
05:08So it's important that everybody in politics, including governments, including those serving at a local level and a regional level
05:14and those of us who are privileged to serve at a European level, that we work for people
05:19and that we always think about what is the North Star.
05:22The North Star is what is in the interest of the people that we are there to serve.
05:26And I think if we have that as our guidance, then we won't go far wrong.
05:31Now, there are a lot of Europeans who believe that the EU is being too bureaucratic, too moralising,
05:39disconnected from everyday concerns.
05:42How serious is this problem for you, for the European Union?
05:47You know, when I sit back and think about it, I genuinely believe that the EU is the best place
05:52in the world
05:53to live and to work and to have a family and to grow old.
05:58When you think about our values, what we stand for, the fact that we do have that social market economy
06:04where we have a high level of spend, quite rightly, on social protection and social security supports.
06:11And when you think about what the EU has helped us all to achieve,
06:16first of all, you know, peace on our continent.
06:19We have this brutal war of aggression now by Russia in Ukraine for the last four and a half years.
06:25But in broad terms, if you look at the journey since World War II,
06:29the EU has been probably the most successful peace project in the world.
06:34Why is it then that right-wing populism is gaining ground?
06:38The Eurosceptics, the anti-Europeans, their power is gaining ground in Europe.
06:43Why is that the case, if you say the EU is the best place?
06:46Look, people will vote for whomever they choose and often for very different reasons.
06:52But I think we have a strong case to make that the European Union has, without question,
06:58improved the quality of life of EU citizens, has created economic opportunity.
07:06integration has undoubtedly helped all of us.
07:09That right to travel, to work, to study anywhere in the European Union is fundamental.
07:16And if we cast our minds back and we think what life was like and would be like again
07:21if the European Union did not exist,
07:23and in my mind it would be a much poorer place,
07:26and it would be a place where the quality of life would be greatly, greatly diminished.
07:32So I think, look, we have to look at what works well,
07:35but also acknowledge perhaps our failings and acknowledge where we need to do better.
07:40This new commission is in office for the last 18 months,
07:43and we are very focused on trying to ease that burden of regulation,
07:48make life a little bit simpler for citizens, for businesses.
07:52So tap into all that is good about the European Union,
07:55the single market of 450 million people and all of those rights that I spoke about,
08:00but also acknowledging that there have been times when the EU has overdone it
08:04on the question of regulation and red tape.
08:08And there is a need now to try to wind some of that back.
08:11And that's what we are trying to do.
08:13One of your core responsibilities is rule of law.
08:17Yeah.
08:18And in the past, the country that created the biggest headaches for the commission was Hungary.
08:24Now Hungary has a new government, a new leadership.
08:28How long will it take for the new government in Hungary
08:31to undo all the legal manipulations by the old government under Orban
08:39so that the frozen funds can be unfrozen?
08:43Well, there will be challenges for sure, and there will be complexity,
08:46and it's not possible to do everything overnight.
08:49From our point of view in the European Commission,
08:52what is important is that we see a sustained commitment to rule of law
08:56and to introducing the necessary reforms in Hungary
08:59and indeed undoing some of what was done in recent years.
09:04And in the European Commission, they will find a willing partner
09:07and a supportive partner.
09:08That's why I'll visit Budapest next week to meet with my direct counterpart,
09:13the Minister for Justice.
09:15It's why the Hungarian Prime Minister is meeting President von der Leyen again tomorrow.
09:20So the contact is ongoing and is intensive.
09:23Good progress is being made.
09:25And we will support Hungary on their path to restoring rule of law
09:29in the interest of their citizens.
09:31It's not that they need to do this for the EU.
09:33They need to do this for themselves and for the Hungarian people
09:36so that they can enjoy the rights and benefits and freedoms and privileges
09:42that European Union membership confers on people.
09:45I think about the Hungarian students,
09:47many of whom have been denied access to Erasmus,
09:50not because of the EU, but because of what the previous Hungarian government did.
09:55So the sooner we can fix these things, the better
09:58and that the life experience of ordinary Hungarian citizens is improved.
10:04And that is what this is all about.
10:05The new Prime Minister Peter Magyar has called on several top office holders from the Orban era
10:12to resign, including the current president.
10:16And he threatened that he will change the constitution if they don't do it.
10:20Is that legitimate?
10:23You know, it is inevitable when you have such a seismic change
10:28in the political landscape of a country
10:30that there will be issues and there will be changes in personnel.
10:36I think that is normal in such a scenario.
10:40What is important is the due process is always followed
10:43and that the rights of every individual citizen,
10:46including those serving in public office, are respected.
10:50So that is all part of having a good rule of law environment,
10:54is that you have checks and balances,
10:56that you have supports in place,
10:59that you have recourse to appeals mechanisms,
11:02you have recourse to independent courts
11:05in the justice system, for example.
11:07So all of these things are important.
11:09So there will be churn and there will be change in personnel.
11:12It's inevitable when you have such a significant shift
11:15in the political landscape.
11:17But it's important also that that is done in a way
11:19that respects the rights of individuals.
11:21Are you monitoring the situation?
11:24Of course we are.
11:25We are monitoring the situation in every member state
11:27of the European Union.
11:29And my team are now working intensively
11:33on the next round of rule of law country chapters,
11:37which we will publish in July of this year,
11:39where we look at every single country in the EU
11:42under a number of headings.
11:43There is also this new legislative initiative in Hungary
11:47to amend the constitution so that a prime minister
11:50can only serve for two terms,
11:52which would make it impossible for Viktor Orban
11:54ever to occupy that post again.
11:58Any comments on this?
11:59That's a matter for the national authorities
12:01and for the government in any member state
12:05to decide on matters such as that.
12:07When it comes to electoral politics
12:10and electoral matters and the conduct of elections,
12:13it's a national competence.
12:14And we respect the competence of the member states
12:17to make decisions of that nature.
12:20Good.
12:20You mentioned electoral politics.
12:22We've seen interference in fake news,
12:25propaganda online ahead of elections in Europe.
12:30Should social media platforms be legally liable
12:34when disinformation campaigns threaten elections in Europe?
12:39Well, they already have clear obligations
12:40under the Digital Services Act,
12:43including in relation to the integrity of electoral processes
12:49and the impact that content disseminated on the platform
12:53may have on those electoral processes.
12:55It may sound quite technical,
12:57but they are required to mitigate the systemic risk.
13:01And so our colleagues in DG Connect
13:03and the European Commission,
13:04led by the executive vice president,
13:06Tenevir Cunnan,
13:07are doing a lot of work in this space.
13:10And there are actions underway under the DSA
13:14to make sure that those obligations are upheld.
13:18And fundamentally, Stefan,
13:19what we want to see in the European Union
13:21is a situation where every citizen gets to exercise
13:24their democratic franchise at the ballot box
13:28in free and fair elections
13:29and that they get the representatives that they choose.
13:33And that is what our goal is within the European Union.
13:36Now, with artificial intelligence,
13:39disinformation is becoming more sophisticated.
13:43Is Europe ready or prepared
13:47for this wave of digital manipulation?
13:50I think the whole world is grappling with this issue
13:54and struggling to keep pace.
13:56I think in the EU we are better positioned than most
14:00because we do have a mature regulatory rulebook,
14:04not just the DSA,
14:05but now the AI Act as well.
14:07And we've made some targeted amendments to the AI Act.
14:10So it will involve, for example,
14:13the requirement to label AI-generated deepfakes
14:17because we know the impact that they could have
14:20if they are released in the days leading up to an election
14:23and the quality is getting better and better,
14:25let's be honest.
14:26It can be increasingly difficult for all of us,
14:28I think, to distinguish between what's real now
14:32and what's AI-generated.
14:33So, again, we do have the regulatory rulebook,
14:37but enforcement is what matters.
14:39And ultimately, this is about empowering the citizens
14:42so that they can make that free decision
14:44that I spoke about earlier on without undue interference.
14:48You mentioned, you said enforcement is key here.
14:51You met with Sam Altman and some other US AI corporate leaders.
14:57Do they understand where we're coming from?
15:00Do they understand European regulation and why it is in place?
15:04I think they do.
15:04Sometimes I feel that we're talking on two different levels here.
15:09No, I think they do.
15:09If you put aside the rhetoric that we hear from time to time,
15:14I think US Big Tech recognise that the European Union
15:18is a fantastic market for them to be operating in.
15:22For many of them, it is their single biggest
15:24and most lucrative market in the world.
15:27And I think they recognise that the EU has its own digital rulebook,
15:32which, by the way, is now being examined and replicated around the world.
15:37Wherever I travel on behalf of the European Commission,
15:40I get asked about the DSA, about the AI Act by other countries who are looking at it
15:45because they are further back on the journey
15:47and they have not introduced measures that are proportionate and balanced.
15:53Of course, we keep all of this under review
15:54and that's why we have brought forward certain targeted amendments to the AI Act, for example.
16:00I've brought forward amendments to the GDPR.
16:03We always have to be conscious of the interplay between different instruments of EU regulation that we have.
16:09We have to make sure the law is clear, consistent and can be enforced uniformly around the European Union.
16:16But I think the big tech firms, including the AI companies that you mentioned,
16:21recognise that there is a need for guardrails
16:23because we want AI to serve us rather than the other way around.
16:29We want to have control as human beings about how AI is helping us to bring about positive changes
16:36in our working lives, in our personal lives and in our wider society.
16:41I have to ask you this.
16:42You're a family man, you're a father of seven.
16:45Do you support restricted access to social media for kids?
16:49Something that has been discussed in various countries.
16:53Should the EU consider a blanket ban, kids will probably find a way around that, right?
17:00Yeah, well, we are considering what to do.
17:03We haven't made any decision yet.
17:05As you know, President von der Leyen set up an expert panel on child safety online.
17:10We expect that they will report back in the coming weeks
17:13and the Commission will then make a decision on next steps.
17:17I think it is likely that there will be an EU-wide initiative in this space.
17:23I'm not saying that it will be a hard ban or anything of the sort.
17:26How likely?
17:27This is all to be decided.
17:29Okay.
17:29Well, we've given the experts a job to do, so let's allow them to do their job.
17:34They'll report back, they'll make recommendations.
17:36But I think it's a very healthy thing that there is now a mature and open debate
17:41on the role of social media and the impact on children.
17:45And I'm looking at this issue in a wider way through the Digital Fairness Act I'll bring
17:51forward later on this year, which will involve measures to better protect children online.
17:56But on your question on social media, you know, you have a spectrum of options from the so-called
18:02hard ban that you talk about, to dealing with issues like addictive design, you know, infinite auto-play.
18:11Do we make it easier for parents to exercise oversight and control?
18:16For a lot of parents it can be very intimidating trying to understand how to navigate these systems,
18:21and I count myself among them.
18:23It is challenging, I think, for all of us.
18:25So we're looking at a spectrum of options, no decision made yet.
18:28On that note, you're also in charge of consumer protection.
18:32Yes.
18:32Now, why do many Europeans still feel powerless against big tech platforms when it comes to scams,
18:42addictive algorithms, and misuse of personal data?
18:46So these are among the issues that will feature in the Digital Fairness Act later on this year.
18:52Again, I would say overall that in the area of consumer protection, we have the highest standards
18:58in the world in the European Union, but we need to make sure that those protections keep
19:04pace with technological development.
19:06And the truth is that when it comes to our consumer protection laws, they have not been
19:13designed with the digital age in mind.
19:15And so when we speak about issues like dark patterns and addictive design and unfair personalisation
19:21or dynamic pricing when it comes to being on a queue to buy a concert ticket, these issues
19:28need to be examined.
19:30Subscription traps where you sign up to a free trial and it just rolls on into a permanent
19:34commitment that you find difficult to get out of.
19:36They're the very kind of issues that I and my team are now working through in the context
19:41of this Digital Fairness Act, which we'll bring forward before the end of this year.
19:45All right.
19:46Michael McGrath, EU Commissioner for Democracy, Rule of Law, Consumer Protection and Justice.
19:53Thank you so much for coming on the show today.
19:55A pleasure.
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