European Commission is not yet ready to unblock money for Hungary
Hungary will not receive funds from the European Commission (Photo: GettyImages)
Two European commissioners informed MEPs that the EU executive is not yet prepared to release billions of euros for Hungary's reconstruction, according to Euractiv.
Hungary is awaiting funds from the EU's €700 million Recovery and Resilience Fund, created after the COVID pandemic. However, the European Commission states that the funds will not be released until the government of Viktor Orban resolves long-standing judicial issues pertaining to bias and the rule of law.
European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders welcomed Budapest's new law aimed at addressing EU concerns about the judiciary's independence. However, he emphasized that the process isn't complete and Hungary must fulfill the implementation steps.
Hungary's position on Ukraine
It's worth mentioning that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban openly supports Russia and often discredits Ukraine with statements.
For instance, Orban's letter to the President of the European Council Charles Michel stated his intention to hamper Ukraine's relationship with the EU by blocking all incoming aid and prohibiting the country's accession to the union. He also expressed his dissent regarding a potential new wave of sanctions against Russia, which he opposes.
Hungary has abstained from contributing military aid to Ukraine since the onset of the large-scale conflict, and it continues to oppose EU sanctions against Russia. Additionally, Budapest maintains trade relations with Russia while representatives of the Hungarian government visit Moscow.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the head of the Presidential Office, stated that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban makes strong statements about Ukraine to secure specific benefits from the European Commission.
