This headline repeats a lie. The EU is not 'punishing' PL and HU for their conservative policies. They are requiring those two countries to abide by the law. Orban and Kaczynski are throwing up smoke, trying to create a culture war where there is none. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hungary-and-poland-threaten-to-split-woke-eu-over-budget-t06nhh09d?shareToken=a3f6f0823fa6ff0dd73853c1086ddbbc

In fact the whole story is ridiculous. It quotes Polish and Hungarian officials without pointing out that they are lying. Same kind of reporting that led to Brexit.

Orban's main goal is to continue using EU money to stay in power and enrich his friends and family. Kaczysnki's goal is to keep undermining Polish justice so he can arrest his enemies and evade corruption charges. No point pretending this is about anything else.

The use of the word "woke" here is an import from American culture wars. It's deployed to make it seem like this internal EU argument over the rule of law has something to do with a hot debate in the English-speaking world. It does not.