Seventeen billion euros of EU funds earmarked for Hungary remain frozen under several rule-of-law instruments of the European Commission. It is no secret that the Hungarian government is eager to access these funds. As recently as last week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán threatened to veto the next Multiannual Financial Framework if the European Commission does not release the money.

I would like to bring clarity to the ongoing budget dispute between the EU and Viktor Orbán and address the following questions in a press briefing:

• What funds are still frozen, and what conditions must be fulfilled to release them?
• What funds does the Orbán government still hope to unfreeze this year, and what actions have they taken to achieve this? Can these measures be considered sufficient?
• Are there EU funds that will be lost indefinitely if they are not paid out by the end of the year?
• What can be expected from the new European Commission regarding rule-of-law issues in relation to Hungary? What conclusions can be drawn from their initial actions?

In addition to these questions, I will evaluate the past six months of the Hungarian Council Presidency and present some data on the “success” of the Orbán government on the European stage.

When?

Monday, December 16th | 15h00

Where?

Zoom. Please register here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAucOGvqT4sG9DsqsoH7o-gJJN7x0SG6tUe