If the European programs were to be relaunched, the Hungarian alternative scholarship program would remain, he stressed.Continue reading
As of January 1, 2025, Hungary has permanently lost €1 billion of EU funding that was due to be allocated by the end of 2024. The funding was part of a €6.3 billion worth of EU grants, frozen due to alleged “rule-of-law reasons,” Brussels Signal reports. Commenting on the situation, Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka described the decision as a “political pressure.”
“The Hungarian government has met all conditions required to access all EU funds,” the politician wrote on X, adding, “Brussels wants to take away the funds that Hungary and the Hungarian people are entitled to because of its political agenda. But Hungary will not lose a single euro cent as long as it has a patriotic and sovereign government.”
“The Hungarian government fought hard to gain access to EU funds worth already more than 12 billion euros. Hungary is among the most advanced Member States in the disbursement of these funds,” he noted.
The minister added:
Hungary will use all legal and political tools at its disposal to gain access to the remainder of its EU funds.”
The Hungarian government has met all conditions required to access all EU funds.
Brussels wants to take away the funds that Hungary and the Hungarian people are entitled to because of its political agenda. But Hungary will not lose a single euro cent as long as it has a… pic.twitter.com/nXxsFWpEr3
— Bóka János (@JanosBoka_HU) December 31, 2024
European Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) earlier that “this loss is irrevocable, and Budapest has no right to appeal.” She said that Hungary’s loss of funding marks “the first time an EU member has lost money permanently under the bloc’s conditionality mechanism.”
The Commission has frozen a total of € 6.3 billion in funding, representing 55% of cohesion payments due to Hungary in December 2022.
Brussels Signal cites Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who called the decision “politically motivated,” and pointed to the lack of transparency in the spending of EU funds, legislative progress in anti-corruption measures and the ineffectiveness of public prosecutions.
As Member States have two years to request the funding in arrears, the same logic would mean that a 2023 tranche of €1.1 billion for Hungary would be at risk by the end of 2025. The European Commission expects Hungary to have to adopt 17 rule of law measures to restore the funding.
Via Brussels Signal, Featured image: Pixabay