FT: EU softens criticism of Orbán ahead of Hungarian elections

According to several sources cited by the Financial Times, the European Commission is softening its public criticism of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and is considering releasing new EU funds before the parliamentary elections on April 12.

European Union officials do not want to be perceived as interfering in the campaign or reinforcing Orbán's anti-Brussels rhetoric. Polls suggest that the opposition TISZA party led by Péter Magyar is leading Fidesz by about ten percentage points.

According to the portal, the Commission is proceeding more cautiously in its communication on rule of law issues, and Budapest could receive approximately €2.4 billion from the SAFE defense program.

At the same time, however, around €17 billion remains frozen due to concerns about discrimination and the independence of the judiciary. In addition, the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the EU has issued an opinion questioning the 2023 decision to release €10 billion.

Orbán has long criticized the EU and opposed military aid to Ukraine. The European Commission has stated that it is continuing to assess the rule of law and that the decisions are not linked to the elections. No final decision has yet been made on the possible release of defense funds.

(max)