Orbán cabinet slams new EU budget, talks about political-based discrimination

All EU member states should be able to benefit from cohesion policy funding “without bias or discrimination”, the public administration and regional development minister said in Brussels on Friday.

EU budget discrimination?

The post-2027 EU budget’s basic elements, structure and financing system must be maintained to this end, Tibor Navracsics said before a General Affairs Council meeting on cohesion policy. The ministers are scheduled to adopt the basic guidelines and conclusions on cohesion policy for the post-2027 period, he noted, adding that Hungary supported the basic text but objected to the inclusion of rule-of-law conditionality.

Navracsics spoke of “subjectivity” and “double standards” in the recent period that disfavoured Hungary. The share of EU funds discussed during the negotiations, he said, were “unacceptable for Hungary”. He said Hungary had only bad experiences of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the rule of law and cohesion funds having become so tightly bound together.

Notwithstanding the appearance of impartiality and balance pertaining to EU application evaluations, these were often subordinated to “current political goals”, he added. Hungary wanted to maintain a robust cohesion policy after 2027, but its support would not extend to conditionality forming a part of cohesion policy in the future, the minister said.

Hungary adding a separate statement to the text

So, Hungary is adding a separate statement to the text making clear the government’s position that all member states should benefit from cohesion funds without bias or discrimination. Hungary’s addendum further states that if measures or evaluation criteria appear in relation to the rule of law or even the Charter of Fundamental Rights, this must not form the basis for future cohesion policy, and further negotiations would be required, he added.

Noting that the draft policy mentions Ukraine, Navracsics said cohesion policy must not be “forgotten and consumed by enlargement policy”. Hungary does not support reallocating cohesion funds to potential member states as this would mix up the external aims of enlargement policy and the internal aims of cohesion policy, he said. When it comes to defence policy and cohesion, however, Hungary is “a bit more flexible”, he said, adding that cohesion policy investments may also serve defence policy goals.

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