PRAGUE: Poland's President Andrzej Duda said on Wednesday (Dec 9) that the European Union was a step closer to finding a compromise that would unlock its budget and virus rescue package after veto threats from Poland and Hungary.

Warsaw and Budapest last month blocked the EU's €1.8-trillion (US$2.1-trillion) budget and recovery package because of provisions, agreed by the other 25 EU members, linking funding to respect for the rule of law.