Von Der Leyen Says Hungary 'Strengthened Rule of Law'
- On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed unlocking €4.2 billion in cohesion funds for Hungary, citing progress in strengthening the rule of law while restoring access to Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe.
- Prime Minister Péter Magyar and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed in May to release €16.4 billion total, provided Hungary met 27 'super milestones' to reverse policies from Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule.
- The European Union originally suspended €6.3 billion in 2022 citing anti-corruption and procurement issues, but Budapest recently resolved issues regarding public interest trusts, known as KEKVA, to satisfy requirements.
- Hungary currently seeks an additional €10 billion in recovery funds, which the Commission is assessing, while a further €2 billion remains blocked over concerns regarding academic freedom, asylum systems, and child protection laws.
- All member states in the EU Council must formally adopt the proposal to finalize the release, as Magyar pledged to resolve remaining outstanding issues concerning academic and asylum policies by the end of the year.
62 Articles
62 Articles
The European Union has concluded that Hungary has corrected the shortcomings identified in public procurement and corruption by proposing EUR 4.2 billion for the country's cohesion.
The European Commission has unblocked 4.2 billion euros in cohesion funds for Hungary, after assessing that Budapest has met the required conditions for strengthening the rule of law and protecting EU funds. The decision also paves the way for Hungarian students and researchers to return to the Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programs, following restrictions imposed by Brussels, reports Telegrafi. In 2022, the EU had frozen 6.3 billion euros in fund…
The release of these funds will have to be validated by the Twenty-Seven, but there is little suspense: it is a first tranche of the more than EUR 16 billion of frozen funds which the European Union intends to gradually return to Hungary, subject to reforms.
The European Commission today proposed the release of €4.2 billion of cohesion funds for Hungary after the realignment of Budapest with the rule of law and EU principles.
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