Report leaked: Fight against corruption failed in Hungary, new recommendations from Brussels
The European Commission’s draft Rule of Law Report provides a comprehensive assessment of the democratic systems in the Member States. Hungary is highlighted in most of the main chapters for the shortcomings or malfunctions of its domestic legal system. The document will be officially published on Wednesday, but it was leaked on Tuesday.
The draft report notes some positive developments in Hungary, but raises many more concerns. The main problems are with the judiciary, anti-corruption, lobbying or legal practices that violate the single market.
Draft of the Rule of Law Report
Today, the European Commission (EC) is expected to adopt its annual assessment of the state of the rule of law, Népszava reports. It will assess the independence of the judiciary, the effectiveness of measures against corruption, media pluralism and freedom, and independent institutions to ensure checks and balances in all Member States. As last year, it makes recommendations to address these concerns.
Hungary implemented some reforms…
In the summary of the report on Hungary, the Commission acknowledges that Hungary has implemented a number of reforms recommended in its assessment last year. The vast majority of these relate to judicial reform and the fight against corruption.
Among the reforms implemented, it mentions the strengthening of the role of the National Judicial Council, the adaptation of the rules on the Curia and the President of the Curia, the creation of the Integrity Authority, and the regulation to ensure better oversight of the spending of EU funds.
…but concerns remain
However, the EC notes that despite this, investigations and prosecutions of high-level corruption cases are not sufficiently effective. It notes that the practical impact of the new rules on public consultations, also adopted under EU pressure, has yet to be assessed.
According to the draft report, there are still major concerns about press freedom. The media regulator and the independence of the public service media are still to be established. On top of that, the transparent allocation of public advertising to the media is still to be ensured.
The failure of public authorities to enforce European court judgments remains a cause for concern, says the report. It also points out that civil society organisations remain under pressure and that their public funding is not transparent.
Set of new recommendations from Brussels
The Commission is again making recommendations to the Hungarian authorities to address these concerns. The EC proposes to make the system of allocation of cases in lower courts more transparent, as it is not always based on objective, pre-defined criteria. It calls for comprehensive reforms on lobbying and effective oversight of asset declarations.
It makes a number of recommendations to guarantee media freedom, including the introduction of mechanisms to ensure the operational independence of the media authority. Another recommendation concerns the strengthening of independent management and editorial independence of public service media. On top of that, they call for the fair and transparent allocation of advertising spending by state-owned companies.
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7 Comments
Gee, imagine, the E.U. has fabricated yet another stick to beat Hungary with. We all know that if the Hungarian government was yet another cookie-cutter globalist-socialist puppet regime, the E.U. would not care, just like it doesn’t care about so, so much corruption happening elsewhere in the E.U. (including places like France and Cyprus, let alone Bulgaria or Croatia). The biggest, marshiest, seediest place of corruption, however, is the E.U. itself. As I keep saying, an organization that has failed its over financial audit for more than two decades, and running, has ZERO business lecturing anyone about corruption, period.
So crazy, Members of a club holding each other accountable to the commitments thez freely made, such as enduring adherence to the Copenhagen requirements. What would you do, as a Club member, any Club, owners association, etc., if there is always the same odd one out?
Whataboutism is a lousy excuse to defend non-transparent and outright abuse of public funds. And quick googling reveals that EU has not failed over its financial audit for more that two decades,
13 October 2022: “The Commission has today welcomed the decision of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) to give the EU annual accounts a clean bill of health, for the 15th year in a row” Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_22_6132
I see a big concerns regarding the freedom of press and happy to see that EU is pushing more democracy into Hungary. Public service media should be independent from political pressure and cover all sides of the stories and give room for different point of views.
Free media is media like in France : left media only and the cut of any state fund for any media more right oriented than center left. Plurality of media mean : a multiple of copy paste same positive opinion on leftist neo progressist political agenda.
And functional anti corruption mean to jail people opposed to the EU propaganda.
I know Orban still dream of a Europe as an opportunity of large market and respect of members sovereignty but it’s a lie and only Huxit and adehsion to Brics can assure a sovereign future.
You have to love it. The crazy going on in france isn’t even mentioned here. The daily Wizz Air update. It takes a has been actor to remove it from the headlines. Is this the goverment control media or the EU trying to keep a lid on it. The Netherlands is next- no mention of EU working to get rid of farmers in that country. Everyone should read The Strange Death of Europe and the EU is runnning the show.
Is there DENIAL in Hungary – that the Orban Government don’t control the Judiciary ?
Yes or NO – or don’t know – don’t CARE.
It is APPARENT – and tabled evidence has been presented – over YEARS – that Orban and his Government WRONGFULLY control the Judiciary.
Its not DEMOCRATIC.
Its not within the Laws of European Membership.
DENIAL – if you take this position, the Law School/Faculty – that I attended taught/educated me WRONGFULLY.
Then again, millions of Hungarians just accept this Fact, like accepting Orbans control of the media, his use of Rule by Decree, his CONTINUATION to DESTROY the Hungarian Economy, the name Hungary, the eradication of Hungary being a DEMOCRACY.
The list of reasons and explanations – that FACTUALLY all come back to the name Orban – that is DESTROYING Hungary – our Future.
Hungary our Economy “rolling along” – the GROWTH in our Economy.
Next JOKE please – we are being Economically & Financially destroyed by the Orban way’s.
MILLIONS of Hungarians continue to believe that Orban – is the LIGHT of the FUTURE of Hungary – WRONGFULLY as we continue to live in SHAMBOLIC times – in a country that it’s Government have “ripped” the Heart & Soul out of and sent us down a road of DESTRUCTION.
It will WORSEN.
When is the EU going to wake up to fact that NOTHING will change in HU as long as this Government rules the roost. Things may appear to change, but in reality (under the surface), nothing will change.