European Commission proposes unblocking €4.2 billion for Hungary — Politico Europe
The European Commission has proposed unblocking €4.2 billion for Hungary from cohesion funds that the EU froze in 2022 over violations of rule-of-law principles under the government of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Politico Europe reports.
European Commission decision
Cohesion fund resources are intended to support economic, social and territorial reforms in EU member states with lower income levels. In 2022, the European Union suspended 55% of such funding for Hungary due to concerns over corruption and public procurement, which, in the EU’s view, created risks to the Union’s financial interests.
The European Commission said it was proposing to lift the restrictions because it believes Hungary has remedied rule-of-law violations that affected the EU budget. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted that Budapest had taken important steps to strengthen the rule of law and protect the European Union’s financial interests.
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Changes in Hungary
Unblocking the funding was one of the key priorities of Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who replaced Orbán as head of government after winning the election in May. After the election, Magyar said in Brussels that one of his campaign’s main commitments was to secure the billions of euros that Hungarians deserve.
Hungarian authorities reported progress in addressing public procurement issues, combating corruption and conflicts of interest. According to the government website, the country amended more than one hundred legislative acts, carried out anti-corruption reforms and joined the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The European Commission’s proposal must be approved by the Council of the EU. European Commissioner for Justice Michael McGrath called it an important and positive step for Hungary and the European Union, while stressing that the European Commission would continue to monitor developments.
