The Commission threatens to deprive Budapest of 7.5 billion euros in community funds if the government of Viktor Orban does not set up the promised reforms to combat corruption.
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This is a real charming offensive to which the Hungarian Minister of Justice Judis Varga, which has started a tour of European capitals, engages. It started with Brussels, where it was received by no less than seven European commissioners, including Vera Jourova – in charge of the values of the European Union (EU and transparency – of which Viktor Orban had nevertheless asked in September in September 2020, after she called Hungary as “sick democracy”. She then went to Madrid, Lisbon, then Paris, and should, soon, settle down in Berlin. “This is the first time that The Hungary of Viktor Orban is deploying such a diplomatic effort. It must be said that there is a lot of money to the key, “comments a diplomat.
Hungary is indeed threatened to be deprived of several billion euros in community funding, due to the concerns of Brussels on corruption, conflicts of interest or even the conditions for passing public procurement in this country. And he has little time left to convince his European partners not to arrive at this extreme.
protect the interests of taxpayers
Sunday, September 18, in its convoluted manner, the Commission proposed to suspend 7.5 billion euros in payments in Budapest, while encouraging it to continue its efforts. The case deserves a little back to be better understood. In April, just after the triumphant re -election of Viktor Orban, the community executive activated an unprecedented mechanism against Budapest, which aims to protect the interests of European taxpayers by checking that shortcomings in the rule of law do not penalize the Community budget.
While Hungary has to face rampant inflation and a fall in florin, Budapest cannot do without European money. The government has therefore presented, this summer, a series of reform proposals in seventeen points, including the establishment of an “independent authority” to combat corruption and an anti-corruption working group where NGOs would sit . “When you listen to Judit Varga to present these initiatives to you, you have the impression that Hungary is the head of Europe in the fight against corruption! We would give him the good god without confession,” comments another diplomat.
Faced with the efforts of Viktor Orban, the commission wished to leave him an open door. In parallel, it certainly proposed to the member states to punctuate the country’s cohesion funds to 7.5 billion euros to which the country has access. Or nearly 20 % of the aid that Hungary must receive from the European Union (EU) between 2021 and 2027. “As it stands, we cannot conclude that the EU budget is protected. The promises must still be concretized, “underlines Johannes Hahn, the budget commissioner.
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