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The European Commission on Wednesday approved the release of €10 billion in joint funds for Hungary, almost a year after the money was frozen due to the country’s failure to address legal concerns.
This means that the Hungarian government will be able to submit repayment requests of up to €10.2 billion to finance development projects in the country.
“We have enough evidence to say that the independence of the judiciary will be strengthened in Hungary,” said Didier Reynders, the European Commissioner for Justice.
“The end of this day is not the end of the process. We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and will respond quickly in case there are any changes in the background.”
The green light comes in an increasingly volatile political environment, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán mounts his opposition bid to block the opening of negotiations with Ukraine , a block €50-billion special fund to maintain the government’s war-torn budget and stop other military aid provisions.
All three high-profile issues will be discussed later this week at a two-day meeting of EU leaders. Unity is needed to move forward.
The combination of events – the opening of the cash freeze and Orbán’s threatened veto – has fueled speculation that Brussels is engaging in horse-trading to appease Budapest, something the European Commission has strongly rejected. .
The feeling was further strengthened on Tuesday when the prime minister’s political director made it clear in an interview that a quid-pro-quo could be made.
“The EU financing of Hungary and the financing of Ukraine are two different issues,” the assistant told Bloomberg. “But if the EU insists that the financing of Ukraine must come from an amendment of the EU budget, then the two issues are connected.”
When asked about the comments, a spokesperson for the Commission insisted that the decision was a direct response to the judicial reform adopted by Hungary in May to strengthen the independence of the courts and reduce interference. politics in the courts.
“We have responsibilities to perform, we release them according to the rules that govern the budget,” said the spokesperson of the Commission. “The comments made by people outside of this organization don’t use us in any way, put us anywhere.”
The amendment was specifically designed to meet the conditions, or “super milestones,” set by the administration to release the cash, including measures to strengthen the National Judicial Council, a committee controlled by the individual, and to reform the work of the Supreme Court.
However, according to a collaborative research by Amnesty International and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, the reform does not fix the shortcomings highlighted by Brussels. “The solutions used, including their methods of adoption, are unsustainable and violate the relevant laws and regulations, as well as legal guidelines,” the statement said. This analysis shows.
In a joint letterthe four main groups of the European Parliament expressed a similar skepticism, and asked the Commission to wait until after the elections to the National Judicial Council on January 10 before giving a positive assessment.
“It is the duty of the Commission to continue to check that no change is changed or weakened later by a directive or a conflicting law,” said the leaders of the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe and Greens in Today Lulu
Real ice
In total, Hungary needs to achieve 27 “super milestones,” as well as four “levels that can be put right,” which, in some cases, are stacked, resulting in more than €30 billion in consolidation and rehabilitation funds have been released since December 2022.
The reform of the court, will only release € 10.2 billion of the total amount.
The country will still be left without more than €11.5 billion in joint funds. This includes €6.3 billion that fell under the so-called “conditionality mechanism” due to concerns related to public procurement, conflicts of interest and corruption.
“Despite regular trade with Hungary, the Commission considers that Hungary has not addressed the violation of the principles of law” that prompted the activation of the device, the Commission said.
NOTICEThe other part of the fund deals with key areas such as the right to academic freedom, the protection of the LGBTQ+ minority and the right to asylum.
In addition, Hungary will still not be able to receive its COVID-19 recovery and rehabilitation plan, which is worth €10.4 billion in grants and low-interest loans. Only €920 million already paid in “advance financing” to provide financing for physical projects.
“Since the high standards have not been fully complied with, no request to pay can be paid for now,” the Commission said. said about the recovery plan.
In his interview with Bloomberg, Orbán’s political boss said that the entire pot of money – more than €30 billion, including €10 billion that was not released on Wednesday – should be released to the country.