The main problem of the European Union (EU) with Hungary is that Prime Minister Viktor Orban is pursuing an overly sovereign, illiberal and anti-mainstream policy, thinking in terms of a Europe of nations rather than a federal European Union. This opinion was expressed to Izvestia by Gabor Stir, a Hungarian political scientist and head of the foreign policy editorial office of the Magyar Nemzet newspaper, commenting on Brussels’ intentions to freeze the allocation of €7.5 billion from EU funds to Budapest and another €5.8 billion in grants for recovery after the pandemic.
“Viktor Orban is a thorn in the eye of the West, and he would like to see another prime minister at the head of the Hungarian government. Therefore, using rule of law problems and corruption as an excuse, Brussels is putting pressure on Budapest. These problems are real, but they are not unique to Hungary and should not be linked to EU support funds. Especially not with the pandemic recovery fund, financed by a loan, which Hungary also participates in repaying,” Stir said.
According to him, many in Brussels also do not like the fact that the head of the Hungarian government “generally treats Russia on the basis of real politics and pragmatism.” But this is only part of the problem and does not play a major role in the current dispute between Hungary and the European Union.
On November 30, the European Commission recommended blocking money for Budapest until it fully implements 27 reforms, including the adoption of anti-corruption measures and judicial reform. And already on December 6, the heads of financial departments of the EU countries should decide whether to give such a recommendation a “green light”.
Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:
Based on retribution: will the EU deprive Hungary of money from its funds
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