Magyar to meet with von der Leyen to unblock billions of euros
Kyiv • UNN
Péter Magyar will discuss the unblocking of billions of euros for Hungary in Brussels. Budapest risks losing 10 billion euros due to a deadline in August.
The incoming Prime Minister of Hungary, Péter Magyar, is expected in Brussels this week, UNN reports, citing Euractiv.
Details
Magyar will meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Wednesday for talks aimed at unlocking billions of euros in EU funds that were frozen due to rule of law and corruption concerns, a European Commission spokesperson confirmed. This is the incoming Prime Minister's first visit to Brussels since his election victory.
"On Wednesday, I will travel to Brussels for informal talks with the President of the European Commission regarding the unlocking of EU funds. We have no time to waste," Magyar himself wrote on X on Sunday.
A delegation from Magyar's Tisza party, which won a landslide victory in the Hungarian elections on April 12, met with European Commission officials in Brussels on Saturday, Magyar said in a previous post. This followed talks in Budapest last weekend.
As Politico notes, time is short for the new government led by "Tisza." Hungary risks losing about 10 billion euros in pandemic recovery funds if it does not meet an August deadline, while approximately 18 billion euros remain frozen due to democratic backsliding during the Orbán era. Magyar is also seeking access to additional EU defense funding and an exemption from daily fines imposed over migration disputes.
Brussels, the publication writes, seeks more than a one-time reset. Officials want Hungary to remain within the unified position on Ukraine, including supporting future sanctions against Russia and ending resistance to Ukraine's path to EU accession, as well as demonstrating progress in addressing the rule of law issues that led to the freezing of funds.
Addition
At the same time, according to some, as Euractiv writes, "the elections are not over yet." "Magyar's colleague, Gabriella Gerzsenyi, a former European Commission employee, sent an email to MEPs on Friday addressing allegations made during the campaign. She and party figure Márton Hajdú were accused of spying for Viktor Orbán, Russia, and China by MEP Klára Dobrev," the publication notes.
Dobrev's Socialists suffered a crushing defeat in the elections.
"We strongly reject all allegations," she wrote, characterizing the claims as a desperate attempt by Dobrev to stay afloat. Gerzsenyi added that legal action would follow: "We will take the necessary legal steps in accordance with national law."