Hungary “expects” to get billions of euros blocked by the EU after it “fulfilled its commitments,” says Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga.
She spoke on 3 May after lawmakers in Budapest adopted an amendment restoring powers to the country’s National Judicial Council and strengthening the independence of Hungary’s judicial system.
Previous reforms saw judicial power shift from the judicial council to the government-affiliated National Judicial Service. This raised concerns in Brussels about the rule of law in Hungary—leading to the freezing of billions of euros by the European Commission.
But despite the concession, Brussels is holding out, with EC officials saying more needs to be done. There are still over twenty “milestones” relating to rule of law issues that the EU demands Hungary resolve before the money flows.
“The current legislative process [resulting in the amendment] fails to meet the milestones’ requirements of public transparency and consultations” noted the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a human rights organisation focused on legal and public activities.
The Commission has however not taken similar measures against other countries found wanting. “For all its focus on basic EU values and rights in Hungary…Brussels has not taken similarly restrictive measures against Greece,” reported Politico.
The Greek Documento journal reported that €622 million of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery programme granted to Greece had primarily gone to 13 companies and a consultancy firm, leaving nothing for the country’s agricultural, livestock or small businesses sectors (as also reported in Euroactiv). Greece has been ranked as the worst country in the EU for press freedom: 107 out of 180 countries globally and lower than both Haiti and Qatar.
There is a lot of money at stake for Hungary. The European Commission froze nearly €22 billion in December 2022 that had been allocated to Hungary as part of the seven-year EU budget up to 2027.
Another €5.8 billion was blocked that Hungary is due to get from the EU’s €800 billion NextGenerationEU post-pandemic recovery programme, which aims “to support the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and build a greener, more digital and more resilient future.”
Hungary’s economy has been hit hard by the Ukraine war following on from the pandemic and lockdowns. Inflation is around 25 per cent.
