The European Union on Thursday approved an advance payment of 900 million euros ($1 billion) to Hungary from its still-frozen share of recovery funds, as the bloc tries to overcome Budapest's veto on aid to Ukraine, UNN reports citing Reuters.
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The European Commission's decision on Thursday to approve Hungary's amended recovery plan now needs to be approved by other EU countries, possibly as early as December 8 during talks between finance ministers of the 27 EU member states.
EU officials had expected that two payments of about €460 million each would be made next year. At the same time, officials insisted that Hungary must fulfill EU conditions to fight corruption and ensure the independence of the judiciary, among other things, in order to access additional funds.
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Hungary has blocked the EU's decisions expected next month to provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros in economic aid through 2027 and to start accession talks with Ukraine. Budapest has also blocked a plan to provide Kyiv with 20 billion euros in EU military aid and opposes sanctions against Russia for waging war.
The European Commission did not approve the provision of funding to Hungary from the bloc's post-pandemic economic stimulus due to concerns about corruption, among other things. Orban, who touts his ties to Moscow, says Hungary is no more corrupt than other EU countries.
Budapest has launched an advertising campaign vilifying the European Commission, and Orban's Fidesz party is pushing a bill to protect national sovereignty from foreign interference, both moves raising the stakes in Hungary's clashes with the EU, the newspaper writes.
EU officials told Reuters last month that the bloc was considering providing aid to Hungary to secure Budapest's support for Ukraine. More recently, however, sources involved in the preparations for the December 14-15 summit of EU leaders to discuss Ukraine expressed growing skepticism that Orban could be influenced.