Magyar Clashes With Brussels Over Frozen EU Funds

Hungary’s incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar is already in his first dispute with the European Commission over how much of the country’s suspended EU funding he can secure, Politico reported.

At stake is about €10.4bn from the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery plan, which Brussels withheld from Viktor Orban’s government. Both sides already agree that Hungary will receive some of the money, but the dispute centers on the amount.

The package consists of €6.5bn in grants and €3.9bn in loans. The European Commission has suggested that Hungary should take only the grants, citing the lack of time to meet the conditions and the country’s high debt.

Magyar, however, wants to secure the full package. Anything less would be a politically weak result after a campaign in which he promised to reset relations with Brussels.

The talks remain informal because the new government has not yet taken office. The deadline for applying for the funds is the end of August.

(est)