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Hungary will get the needed euro billions from the EU soon?
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The Article 7 procedure against Hungary in defence of fundamental European values should continue, as protecting democracy and guaranteeing human rights are now more important today than ever before, the German state secretary in charge of European affairs said on Friday.
Hungary should make progress towards guaranteeing the freedom of the media, Anna Luehrmann told reporters before a ministerial session in Brussels. Concerning the rule-of-law conditionality mechanism, she said Germany was awaited the European Commission’s report on how Hungary has implemented its recommendations and what it did to protect EU funding.
Laurence Boone, the French state secretary of European affairs, said France and Germany would draft a report on Hungary’s rule-of-law record, covering the judiciary, anti-graft measures, academic freedom, and the enforcement of fundamental rights, with focus on the right of assembly and minority rights. Marko Stucin, the Slovenian state secretary of European affairs, said Hungary had made positive steps to address the EU’s concerns.
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Justice minister: Hungary working to reach agreement with EC
Hungary is doing everything it can to meet the deadlines in respect of 17 commitments negotiated earlier with the European Commission which are necessary for unlocking the country’s EU funds, Justice Minister Judit Varga said in Brussels on Friday. Briefing Hungarian journalists ahead of a meeting of EU affairs ministers, Varga said Hungary was engaged in an “intensive negotiation process, in-depth work with the European Commission; constructive and professional dialogue is taking place between Brussels and Budapest.”
On Saturday, Hungary will send an official letter briefing the EC on the work done so far, she said. Regarding the conditionality procedure launched against Hungary, which makes EU funding conditional on adherence to the rule of law, Varga said the procedure was raising hopes of becoming a “test case”, an “example of constructive dialogue, a symbol of unity boosting solidarity”. At the same time, the procedure should not fall prey to political agendas as that would undermine European unity at a time of unprecedented challenges, she warned.
Hungary sees the procedure as a “test case in building trust”, and is acting responsibly, not sparing human and financial resources, Varga said. Hungary expects its partners to do the same, “so we can finally turn to truly important tasks,” she said.
