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The European Parliament is urging the Commission to withhold Hungary’s EU funds, but according to leading Hungarian politicians, the agreement is getting closer.
Hungary is going to be on the agenda of the European Parliament’s next plenary session on September 14 in Strasbourg. The title of the debate is “Existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded,” where MEPs will discuss a report compiled by French MEP Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Greens/EFA).
The draft interim report reiterates that the concerns of Parliament relate to the following issues in Hungary: the functioning of the constitutional and electoral system, the independence of the judiciary and of other institutions and the rights of judges, corruption and conflicts of interest, privacy and data protection, freedom of expression; academic freedom, freedom of religion, freedom of association, the right to equal treatment; the rights of persons belonging to minorities, including Roma and Jews, and protection against hateful statements against such minorities, the fundamental rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, economic and social rights.
It calls on the European Commission to “make full use of the tools available to address the clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded,” to take “immediate action under the regulation as regards other breaches of the rule of law,” and to refrain from approving Hungary’s recovery plan (thereby continuing to withhold the funds aimed at combating the economic consequences of the pandemic).
Tamás Deutsch, the head of the governing Hungarian Fidesz party’s delegation in the European Parliament, told Mandiner that despite the efforts of the European Parliament to prevent Hungary from getting the EU funds, the negotiations between the government and the European Commission are heading towards an agreement.
“There are no irreconcilable differences between the positions,” Minister for Regional Development Tibor Navracsics told ATV about the negotiations between the European Commission and the government. He said that some of the proposed amendments to the law were difficult decisions, but not issues that would cause a loss of prestige.
Featured photo via the European Parliament