Government Advances EU Funds Held Back by Brussels to Municipalities

MTI-Hungary Today 2023.09.25.

Hungary is fortunately in a position to advance the funds that the European Union is not currently providing, which Hungary is be entitled to, emphasized Bence Rétvári, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, at the inauguration ceremony of the Vácduka recreation and leisure park (near Budapest).

Bence Rétvári, who is also the MP of the political party KDNP for the region, said that the developments under the Operational Program for Regional and Urban Development Plus should have been financed by EU funds, but since the EU did not transfer them, the Hungarian government had to step in and advance the aid. In total, HUF 200 billion (EUR 513 million) were thus allocated to municipalities, he said.

You can put pressure on us, you can withhold your own resources, but the Hungarian economy is in a state where we can make up for it with our own revenues, our own resources, so that the municipalities do not suffer any damage,”

stressed the State Secretary.

Bence Rétvári, Parliamentary Secretary of State of the Ministry of Interior (L) and László Makkos, Mayor (R) at the inauguration. Photo via MTI/Attila Kovács

Fact

The Operational Program for Regional and Urban Development Plus aims to improve territorial cohesion at the EU level and within the country, by improving the development of regions and counties in relation to the EU average and reducing disparities within the country, with a particular focus on the four least developed regions (Southern Great Plain, southern Transdanubia, Northern Great Plain, northern Hungary). In the case of Budapest, the aim is to address the specific challenges of large cities.

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Rétvári noted that the Vácduka recreation and leisure park was completed with more than HUF 170 million (EUR 436,105) in non-refundable aid. With the help of the grant, a family-friendly public park with a green area of 16,000 square meters was created.

Fact

Hungary has not received any EU money for some time, however, in June, the European Commission asked the 27 Member States to add billions more to the budget for the period up to 2027. The body did not hide why the idea of increasing payments had been mooted: it said the amount would make it easier to deal with Ukraine, immigration, and economic competition, while Brussels’s bureaucrats’ salaries would also be increased. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán highlighted that the money is intended to be used, among other things, to give 50 billion euros to Ukraine, but pointed out that the European Union has already given 70 billion euros for this purpose over the past year and a half, and it is not known what this money has been used for.

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Via MTI, Featured image via Facebook/European Commission