Frozen funds: MEPs fear Hungary's Orban will receive millions

MEPs are trying to forestall Hungarian Premier Viktor Orbán from accessing blocked EU costs aft nan midterm reappraisal of nan EU's cohesion funds.

This reappraisal intends to reshuffle antecedently unused backing for defence and dual-use equipment and to velocity up nan spending of nan costs successful nan 2nd half of the EU's seven-year budgetary period.

MEPs declare that nan Hungarian authorities could unfreeze immoderate money antecedently blocked by nan European Commission, pinch nan thief of nan reallocation, without fulfilling nan EU's conditions of world state aliases LGBTQ+ rights.

Hungary has already sought re-shuffling of cohesion funds

German Green MEP Daniel Freund told Euronews that nan Hungarian authorities has already received €160 cardinal of formerly stiff costs and is consenting to retreat different €600 million.

"Orbán is erstwhile again playing games. He tries to displacement money from stiff costs into pots that are still disposable to him. Until Hungary restores nan norm of law, not a azygous cent should beryllium released. If we neglect to extremity this, Orbán tin “unfreeze” up to €1.68 billion. The Commission must not let it," Freund said.

Euronews was not capable to verify nan declare that €160 cardinal of stiff costs person been paid to Hungary. The European Commission did not remark connected Hungary's request for nan caller €600 million.

"We induce personnel states to set and modify their cohesion programmes to accommodate them to nan caller Commission priorities. This is an ongoing exercise, arsenic different personnel states Hungary is taking portion successful this exercise, but since it's not concluded yet, I cannot corroborate immoderate figures aliases amounts. It should beryllium concluded successful nan coming months," said Commission spokesperson Maciej Berestecki, adding that immoderate specified costs needs nan anterior statement of nan Commission.

The Hungarian authorities refused to remark connected nan matter, saying talks are ongoing astir nan cohesion funds.

The Commission moved to calm MEPs

The European Commission had earlier attempted to guarantee MEPs that nan norm of rule would beryllium highlighted moreover aft nan review.

"If nan information and nan regularisation are successful application, and if costs person been stiff nether that instrument, you tin remainder assured that those costs cannot beryllium touched, cannot beryllium affected by nan imaginable flexibilities which beryllium nether nan cohesion policy," Balázs Ujvári, spokesperson of nan European Commission, told Euronews.

Commission Vice President Raffaele Fitto also intervened erstwhile he sent a missive to nan chair of nan European Parliament's REGI Committee, making clear that nan Berlaymont will not green-light immoderate costs requests taxable to erstwhile freezes.

"The Commission remains committed to ensuring nan norm of rule is upheld successful nan implementation of nan costs and will measure immoderate petition for programme amendments successful statement pinch nan Common Provisions Regulation (CPR), nan Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation, and nan provisions of nan Mid-Term Review Regulation," Fitto wrote successful a message published connected nan Parliament's website.

MEPs pass of nan deficiency of ineligible guarantees

But according to Tineke Strik, a Dutch MEP, who is besides nan Parliament's rapporteur connected Hungary, this connection cannot beryllium considered a legally binding commitment, and Budapest could usage loopholes successful nan existing regularisation to retreat money.

Freund besides cited different imaginable loophole Hungary could use, claiming that a reallocation of up to 8% wouldn't trigger interference of nan Commission.

Earlier, successful June, nan Parliament's REGI Committee projected to unfastened nan CPR regularisation to see stronger safeguards, but this was not imaginable for ineligible reasons.

Klára Dobrev, an S&D MEP from Hungary, besides thinks that nan midterm reappraisal will not springiness capable safeguards.

"Having thoroughly explored nan taxable of nan mid-term reappraisal of nan EU budget, we person concluded that we should not beryllium satisfied pinch nan European Commission's commitment," Dobrev told Euronews.

"Von der Leyen and nan EPP gave Orbán an 'election gift' successful 2022 and 2024 arsenic well. The committedness was successful vain, and nan anticipation of this has not been ruled retired now either," she added.

"The eyes of nan world will beryllium connected them, and ours too, to spot whether they support their word. But this guarantee cannot beryllium said to beryllium sufficient."

Dobrev was 1 of nan 8 MEPs voting against nan Midterm Review connection astatine nan REGI committee connected Wednesday afternoon. But nan mostly of 27 members successful favour and 5 abstentions, approved nan text, meaning it will spell to nan Plenary convention adjacent week, wherever it is apt to beryllium approved.

Funds blocked by Brussels for norm of rule worries

If Hungary were capable to merchandise immoderate cohesion funds, antecedently blocked for norm of rule and corruption issues, that would beryllium a important triumph for Orbán.

Overall €18 cardinal of a full of €28 cardinal is stiff arsenic a consequence of activation of nan norm of rule system complete corruption concerns, and, successful nan lawsuit of nan cohesion funds, nan non-fulfilment of nan EU charter connected basal rights.

Here, Hungary has been asked to safeguard world freedom, protect LGBTQ+ rights, and respect nan correct to asylum successful bid to entree funds.

Back successful December 2023, nan European Commission released €10.2 cardinal of antecedently stiff cohesion costs to Hungary, conscionable earlier a cardinal EU acme wherever Orbán lifted his veto connected nan €50 cardinal assistance package for Ukraine.

Then, galore MEPs accused nan EU of striking a concealed woody pinch Budapest, and threatened nan Commission pinch ineligible action.

Those captious of nan process judge that without beardown and legally binding guarantees nan allocation of costs tin lead to akin deals pinch Orbán successful nan future.