Brussels - Half of Slovenia's eight MEPs have welcomed the agreement of the member states and the European Parliament tying the rule of law to states' access to funds. "The EU will no longer be a cash machine while its basic values are being trampled in some member states," Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) tweeted on Thursday.

Tanja Fajon (S&D/SD) meanwhile labelled the agreement historic, tweeting that "basic values of the EU are not for sale!".

The MEPs Irena Joveva and Klemen Grošelj (both Renew/LMŠ) also welcomed the agreement. "This will prevent further undermining of the EU's basic values and the final beneficiaries will not be victims of abuse of EU funds by their own governments," Joveva said in a statement.

Grošelj meanwhile noted that the mechanism enjoys the backing of four key political groups in the European Parliament, adding that Slovenian MEPs from the ranks of opposition parties should not be "blamed" by the "party media outlet of the senior coalition party".

MEPs Romana Tomc and Milan Zver (EPP/SDS), as well as Milan Brglez (S&D/SD) and Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS) are yet to respond.