Socialists: Orbán cabinet is lying, the EU loans have not even been called

Socialist Party MEP István Ujhelyi on Tuesday accused the government of lying in connection with European Union resources.

Ujhelyi told an online press conference that a letter he had received from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on August 24 showed that the Hungarian government had so far not taken any official steps to draw down loans available from the European Union recovery fund. Details: Orbán has time until midnight: EUR billions at stake, HUF may collapse

Despite claims that Hungary is not receiving monies from the EU, the government has not even submitted a proper and detailed plan to Brussels, only “sent a letter of communication”, Ujhelyi said.

The government has been “continually armwrestling” with European institutions in order to acquire EU funding, he said. At first, the government “arrogantly refused” the available loans, arguing that Hungary did not need it. In March, however, following the acceleration of inflation and the weakening of the forint, the prime minister’s press chief said that Prime Minister Viktor Orban had informed Von der Leyen in a letter that Hungary wanted to gain access to the loans, Ujhelyi said.

“This, however, has not been followed up by any official steps,” he said.

Ujhelyi called on the government to “talk sincerely”, adding that “while you point the finger for everything at European institutions, you can neither govern nor tell the truth”.