Judit Varga, Hungary’s justice minister, announced last week that the Hungarian government and the European Commission signed a technical agreement last month about opening EUR 13 billion from the EUR 22 billion EU funds. However, Brussels waits for the Hungarian justice reform. Meanwhile, EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn arrived in Budapest to negotiate about the EU funds with PM Viktor Orbán.
According to the MTI, Orbán had talks with Hahn today. The meeting was attended by Regional Development Minister Tibor Navracsics, Justice Minister Judit Varga and her deputy, János Boka. Hungary may receive EUR 13 billion out of the altogether 22 billion provided the European Commission accepts the steps the cabinet did to fulfill Brussels’s requests concerning judicial reform, academic freedom, or the operation of courts. And what will happen with the remaining EUR 9 billion? That is blocked by the rule-of-law conditionality procedure launched against Hungary, portfolio.hu wrote.
Mihály Varga and Johannes Hahn:
Johannes Hahn and Judit Varga:
Finance Ministry: EC ‘owes significant amounts’ to Hungary
The European Commission “owes significant amounts of money” to Hungary, and is hindering the country’s economy, Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said on Tuesday, after talks with Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for Budget and Administration, MTI wrote. Besides calling for its funding from the European Union’s Resilience and Recovery Facility (RRF) to be released, Hungary also “expects answers on how the Commission is planning to support the countries protecting the borders of the Schengen Area in financing growing migration-related costs,” the ministry cited Varga as saying.
The RRF has “not fulfilled its initial promise”, he said, arguing that five member states had yet to receive funding, which, he said, had an impact on Hungary and Europe’s competitiveness. Had Hungary received the monies it is entitled to, its economy would have grown by more than 5 percent last year, Varga said. Despite the delay, the war in Ukraine and “sanctions-related inflation”, Hungary’s economy expanded by 4.6 percent while the budget deficit and the state debt were reduced, he added. Hungary’s budget is “steadfast” amid crises and a dangerous international environment, he said.
Meanwhile, “our expenses in border protection will be over 650 billion forints [EUR 1.7bn], of which the EU has only contributed some 1 percent since 2015,” he said. Regarding support for Ukraine, Varga told Hahn that Hungary had launched the largest humanitarian action of its history and has ploughed some 40 billion forints into aid for the war-torn country. At the same time, a loan taken out jointly by EU countries is not the long-term solution for supporting Ukraine, he said.
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3 Comments
Orban is running a campaign against the EU. Blaming them for everything to distract the public from blaming him and they want to give him (yes him, because most of the money will end up in his pocket or his friends/son in law) pockets. They are insane for giving him one euro.
NEVER because Victor Orban – has taken a radically different road, diverting from CORE ingredients of Democracy, the Major law of European Union Membership, over years, remembering his “second coming” as Prime Minister of Hungary, this “stint” of 13 years, that history, remembering it Never lie’s – will TELL of being a glorious era or by leadership of an “infamous” individual.
Hungary – 2023 what is the Orban legacy to Hungary appearing that History will speak of HIM ?
Personally – not FAVOURABLE.
Orban – going forward, there can’t be, to the complete SATISFACTION under laws of European Union Membership a – Mea Culpa.
Orban – created, set in place – his stamp – his “dye” – the dismantling of DEMOCRACY in Hungary.
In his time as Prime Minister – the road he has taken for the FUTURE of Hungary – has OBLIVIATED – DEMOLISHED friendships and relationships, some in longevity in time, that are DEMOCRACY’s.
Hungary, under Orban rightfully should receive “retained” funds from the European Union, that are deemed – of there RIGHT, the referee, being the European Union.
Orban has “tried it on” – having a FOOT in both camps – rule by a dictatorship form of Government, and “blend” into this idea, his form of DEMOCRACY.
That “cocktail” never, never was it to SUCCEED.
Orban can’t seek REDEMPTION nor a “Mea Culpa” – with Brussels – that present time tells us CLEARLY why that is ” Non Negotiable”.
Victor Orban – if HE – was to “sign off” – that Hungary, whilst he is Prime Minister, will embrace and be conducted GOVERNED as a country under the definition(s) of DEMOCRACY of the Laws of the European Union, that would COMPLEX to a disastrous personal injury, one of humiliation, with his “inner sanctum” that would un-equivocally finish end his time in Politics.
The “Wrath” of the inner-sanctum would SAVAGE him.
There can be no – “Mea Culpa.”
Again this “we spent over 650 billion forints” and, without consulting beforehand, our Politicians think the European Union should be paying for this.
Reminds me of a guy who stated dozens if not hundreds of times he would build this wall and having somebody else pay for it (spoiler: they didn’t, the domestic taxpayers did) – https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/fact-check-mexico-never-paid-it-what-about-trump-s-n1253983
Regarding outside help which would be useful: Frontex (the EU’s border agency) suspended their activities in Hungary because the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled we were consistently breaking EU and international law: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2021-001120_EN.html . Beautiful.