The European Commission has unblocked about €10 billion in funding for Hungary despite concerns over the state of the rule of law in the country. The move could also have implications for Ukraine.
EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said on Wednesday, however, that recent judicial reforms are in “full compliance … with the requirements we had agreed on,” adding: “We have received sufficient guarantees to say that independence of the judiciary will be strengthened in Hungary.”
Additional EU funds totaling almost €12 billion and further billions in COVID-19 recovery aid remain blocked because breaches “in the areas of public procurement, prosecutorial action, conflict of interest, the fight against corruption and public interest trusts” were not addressed, according to a Commission press release.
Whether the release of at least some of the locked funds will lead the Hungarian prime minister to reconsider his threat to veto any decisions on Ukraine, remains to be seen.
Starting accession talks does not guarantee membership, but it is considered a highly symbolic step that is generally followed by detailed and potentially open-ended negotiations that can last decades.
Arriving in Brussels for the summit, new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk appeared to attempt to soothe relations by calling Orban a “very pragmatic politician” and said he would seek to find a way to win him over.
In an apparent rebuke to Hungary, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called earlier for more decision-making by a qualified majority in the EU to prevent single nations from having a veto on issues such as accession.
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EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said on Wednesday, however, that recent judicial reforms are in “full compliance … with the requirements we had agreed on,” adding: “We have received sufficient guarantees to say that independence of the judiciary will be strengthened in Hungary.”
Additional EU funds totaling almost €12 billion and further billions in COVID-19 recovery aid remain blocked because breaches “in the areas of public procurement, prosecutorial action, conflict of interest, the fight against corruption and public interest trusts” were not addressed, according to a Commission press release.
Whether the release of at least some of the locked funds will lead the Hungarian prime minister to reconsider his threat to veto any decisions on Ukraine, remains to be seen.
Starting accession talks does not guarantee membership, but it is considered a highly symbolic step that is generally followed by detailed and potentially open-ended negotiations that can last decades.
Arriving in Brussels for the summit, new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk appeared to attempt to soothe relations by calling Orban a “very pragmatic politician” and said he would seek to find a way to win him over.
In an apparent rebuke to Hungary, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called earlier for more decision-making by a qualified majority in the EU to prevent single nations from having a veto on issues such as accession.
The original article contains 470 words, the summary contains 217 words. Saved 54%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!