The MEP group is asking the European Commission to immediately freeze EU funds to Hungary due to suspicions of a backslide on Prime Minister Victor Orban’s government’s rule of law.
The letter, published Tuesday, was addressed to Commissioners of the European Budget Piotr Serafin and Democracy and Judge Michael McGrath, and was signed by 26 MEPs of five different political groups.
“Twenty-six members of the European Parliament have written to express deep concerns about the recent developments of Hungary. The European Commission will raise pressure on Viktor Orbán’s government and urge them to halt violations of EU values and EU law.
The letter recalls that the Commission is currently withheld 18 billion euros from Hungary and 18 billion euros through various mechanisms triggered in December 2022 “mainly due to widespread corruption” and “significant violations of government laws.”
“Unfortunately, since the December 2022 decision, Hungary has not only failed to make meaningful progress in meeting the stipulated conditions and milestones, but instead witnessed a more vigilant return,” the letter said.
The letter cites four important issues, including direct government interference in the work of Hungarian integrity authorities, undermining the independence of the judicial independence, resulting in the protest of the Hungarian Judges Association, the march of pride in Budapest, and the recognition of the “defense of sovereign law.”
This letter recalls that the Act, adopted in 2023, allows for an investigation into the use of foreign funds that affect voters, and is seen as a tool for deployment to government critics.
In addition to that law, the Hungarian Parliament is currently discussing a bill that will list foreign-funded media and NGOs and fined them.
Cutting all funds is in the economic benefits of the EU, says Meps
The letter signatories cite the EU legal conditional mechanism as a means of reducing funds in cases of such violations. This mechanism has been used previously against Hungary.
“Given the cross-sectional and comprehensive nature of recent government attacks, it needs to be even more clear that all EU funds to Hungary, across all budgetary boundaries, are at high risk. Therefore, we consider the freeze of all funds proportionate to the risks that will be brought to the union’s economic benefits,” writes the MEP.
Signatories of the letter include EPP Group, S&D, Greens/EFA, Renew, and lawmakers on the left. This includes important meps such as Monika Hohlmeier and Jean-Marc Germain. Budget Committee, Hungary’s rapporteur Tineke Strik and Parliament’s Budget Committee Chairman Niclas Herbst.
The European Commission appears to be open to discuss further reductions
Last weekend, tens of thousands of people protested the transparency bill in Budapest. This is a Russian-style tool, according to opposition, to silence critics. On Wednesday afternoon, the European Parliament held an urgent discussion on the issue, where several MEPs urged the Commission to take immediate action.
In his reply, Democracy Commissioner and Judge Michael McGrath said the committee is ready to defend the coalition’s fundamental values and rights, including further use of mechanisms of legal conditions to enable financial cuts.
“The committee is considering an approach to a financial framework over the next few years and discussed this issue further at the committee meeting yesterday, including a consideration of the terms and role of respect for the rule of law in that respect.”
Members of the Hungarian ruling Fides Party said in discussions in the European Parliament that maintaining sovereignty and limiting foreign interference in Hungarian politics was a matter of national interest. Hungary’s MEPC Saba Dömötör accused Brussels of raising funds to intervene in politics by networks of left-wing activists.
“Whatever you say, what we have here has nothing to do with civil society. Civil society organizes itself from the ground, but those activists were funded from here or with the help of an open society or USAID,” Dömötör said.
Announced as part of Orban’s self-styled “spring cleaning,” Hungary’s new transparency law could be approved by the Hungarian Parliament in the coming weeks.
