Election 2018 – PM candidate Karácsony: Graft jeopardises EU funding for Hungary

Recently discovered cases of severe abuse of power and graft in Hungary jeopardise the country’s access to EU funding, Gergely Karácsony, PM candidate of the Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance, said in Szombathely, western Hungary, on Saturday.

Some of these cases have been exposed by the EU’s anti-fraud office (OLAF), he said.

Hungary currently receives funds of some 1,300 billion forints (EUR 4.1bn) from the EU, he said, some of which might be withdrawn in the next funding cycle due to “pervasive corruption” in the country.

If voted into power, the Karácsony government will freeze and review the spending of the funding already allocated by Fidesz, he said. By allocating 96 percent of the funds available until 2020, the incumbent government is tying the hands of the next one, forcing it to work along its own priorities, he said.

The opposition alliance will spend that money on health care, education, the environment and the infrastructure, he said. “There will be no more castle renovations, stadiums or horse wellness,” he said, referring to projects recently funded by the Fidesz government.

Photo: MTI (illustration)

Source: MTI