Im not in the EU, but one is threats of fines to member countries. One example is the immigration issue. Here's a summerizer:
In 2020, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic had violated EU law by failing to fulfill their commitments under a mandatory relocation scheme for 160,000 asylum seekers from Greece and Italy. The court rejected their arguments based on national security, stating that the principle of solidarity within the EU requires burden-sharing. Although the ECJ’s ruling was final, the relocation program had already expired in 2017, meaning no immediate enforcement or fines were imposed at that time.
Despite this, the European Commission has retained the right to pursue financial penalties for non-compliance with the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, adopted in May 2024. Under the Pact, countries can either relocate asylum seekers, pay €20,000 per person they refuse to accept, or contribute to a solidarity fund. Poland and Hungary have both explicitly refused to participate in any of these measures.
Poland has stated it will not accept migrants and will not pay compensation, citing its hosting of over a million Ukrainian refugees and tens of thousands from Belarus.
Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has maintained a "zero migrant" policy, vowing to resist any quota system and even threatening to send migrants directly to Brussels.
The EU has not imposed fines yet, but the Commission has the authority to do so, and legal action remains a possibility. However, due to the strong opposition from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic — who argue the system is unfair and undemocratic — a compromise remains elusive. The European Council has repeatedly failed to resolve the dispute, with migration issues being removed from official summit conclusions in 2024.
In summary, while the EU has ruled against Poland and Hungary legally and threatened financial penalties, no actual fines have been enforced to date. The standoff continues, with both countries defying the Pact and resisting EU pressure.
Overall I'd say they start with behavioral economics (think nudge tactics) and social pressure, then they move to threats and coercion. If they actually had elements of physical power projection they'd move to that next but they outsourced that ability to the US lol
