Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

European Commission to propose EU funding cut for Hungary

European Commission to propose EU funding cut for Hungary

Yet the EU’s executive arm will also open the door to a compromise.

The European Commission plans to propose a cut to Hungary’s EU funds over rule-of-law concerns — while still opening the door to a compromise.

The move, expected Sunday, would represent the next step in a long process meant to keep EU members in line on democratic norms.

The EU has never before come this close to actually taking away a country’s budget funding over such rule-of-law fears. Yet since coming to power more than twelve years ago, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has faced criticism from civil rights groups and international institutions for undermining democratic standards.

One area of concern for the EU has been corruption, in particular the misuse of public funds to enrich figures close to the ruling Fidesz party. Brussels has long sparred with Budapest over the issue and, in April, the Berlaymont triggered for the first time a mechanism that could result in the country losing out on billions.

This Sunday, the Commission is expected to take the next step in that process by formally proposing to the Council of the EU that it suspend a significant portion of Hungary’s EU budget funds, according to two people familiar with the process. The reason: serious problems with public procurement, which the Commission has concluded constitute a breach of the rule-of-law principle.

But there is a caveat: The Commission is also set to acknowledge that the Hungarian authorities have over the past weeks proposed a series of reforms that could — if properly designed and implemented — address some of Brussels’ concerns.

The Berlaymont is thus expected to communicate to European capitals that they could opt to grant Budapest an opportunity to prove it is serious about reforms, before making a final decision on suspending funds.

The Commission is expected to adopt a “very sober and tough assessment of deficiencies,” but there is a “need to take into account that Hungary has moved in the right direction and taken first steps” toward reforms, said one EU official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

While acknowledging that trust in Hungary has “eroded” and that concerns are “of a systemic nature,” the official said it will be up to the Council to decide whether to give Hungary “a chance to prove itself.”

Once the Council receives the Commission’s proposal, it has one month to make a decision, with the option of extending the timeline by a maximum of two months.

Orbán’s government has said that it is willing to create a new Anti-Corruption Authority, as well as a new anti-corruption working group and framework to assess public procurement procedures.

And while Hungarian civil society groups have said they have serious concerns about whether the government’s proposals would actually improve its anti-corruption performance, both the Commission and EU capitals appear to be open to giving Orbán an opportunity to avoid losing funding.

“The Commission is quite happy with proposals Hungary is making, but we all want to see it’s real,” said one EU diplomat. By proposing a funding suspension, the diplomat said, “the Commission is keeping pressure” on Hungary.

But, the diplomat added, “it’s natural to give the Hungarians some time.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×