Hungary to set up anti-corruption agency to unlock EU funds
2 years, 4 months ago

Hungary to set up anti-corruption agency to unlock EU funds

Associated Press  

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary’s government has pledged to set up its own anti-corruption agency in an effort to unlock billions in European Union funding that the bloc has withheld over rule-of-law and graft concerns. Prime Minister Viktor Orban signed the decree published late Monday which will establish an “independent authority to prevent, detect and correct illegalities and irregularities” concerning the handling of EU funds. The move appeared to be a concession by Hungary’s nationalist government to the EU executive, which must decide this month whether to approve Hungary’s application for billions in recovery funds meant to assist European economies damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Hungary’s government opted out of joining the European Public Prosecutors Office — an independent EU body tasked with combating crimes affecting the financial interests of the bloc — arguing that joining would amount to a loss of national sovereignty.

Funds Hungary Eu Funds  withheld  tasked  hungarys  recovery  set  hungary  agency  funds  prevent  eu  unlock  european  anticorruption

History of this topic

Hungary signals it’s serious about sending buses of asylum seekers to EU headquarters
4 months ago

Hungary signals it’s serious about sending buses of asylum seekers to EU headquarters

Associated Press  

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary’s anti-immigrant government signaled Friday that it is serious about implementing a plan to provide asylum seekers free one-way travel to Brussels, a measure meant to pressure the European Union into relenting on heavy fines against the country for its restrictive asylum policies. At a news conference in the capital Budapest, State Secretary Bence Rétvári claimed the …

EU, Hungary at odds again over Hungarian ‘sovereignty’ law
11 months ago

EU, Hungary at odds again over Hungarian ‘sovereignty’ law

The Hindu  

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, launched an ‘infringement procedure’ into Hungary’s new Defence of National Sovereignty law, setting Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on a collision course with the bloc. Under the controversial law, Hungarian authorities will be able to use the intelligence services to investigate individuals and organisations involved in the democratic and electoral process and allegedly …

The EU launches legal action against Hungary over new law accused of targeting critics
11 months ago

The EU launches legal action against Hungary over new law accused of targeting critics

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union on Wednesday launched legal action against Hungary’s right-wing government over a new law that allows authorities to investigate and prosecute people accused of undermining the country’s sovereignty. The European Commission, which monitors the application of legislation across the 27 EU member countries, said Hungary’s measure “violates several provisions” of the bloc’s law and that it …

EU launches legal action against Hungary’s ‘sovereignty’ law
11 months ago

EU launches legal action against Hungary’s ‘sovereignty’ law

Al Jazeera  

The legislation is viewed as a threat to political opponents, media and civil society. The European Commission has launched legal action against Hungary for its recent enactment of laws on “protecting national sovereignty”. The European Union executive said on Wednesday that it has sent a formal notice to Budapest informing it that the legislation violates the bloc’s democratic values and …

Thousands protest in Slovakia against plan to amend penal code and close special prosecutor’s office
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Thousands protest in Slovakia against plan to amend penal code and close special prosecutor’s office

Associated Press  

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Thousands of people on Thursday joined growing street protests across Slovakia against a plan by populist Prime Minister Robert Fico to amend the penal code and eliminate a national prosecutors’ office. The plan approved by Fico’s coalition government includes abolishing the special prosecutors’ office, which handles serious crimes such as graft, organized crime and extremism. “We’re not …

European Union institutions gear up for a fight over Orbán’s rule of law record, funds for Hungary
11 months, 3 weeks ago

European Union institutions gear up for a fight over Orbán’s rule of law record, funds for Hungary

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union’s institutions are gearing up for a fight over Hungary and a contentious transfer of 10 billion euros in funds to Budapest. The European Parliament decided to assess Thursday whether to take the bloc’s executive branch, the European Commission, to court over allegations that it gave into blackmail from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to get his …

News outlets and NGOs condemn Hungary’s new ‘sovereignty protection’ law as a way to silence critics
1 year ago

News outlets and NGOs condemn Hungary’s new ‘sovereignty protection’ law as a way to silence critics

Associated Press  

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Independent media outlets and rights groups on Wednesday condemned legislation passed by Hungary’s right-wing populist government that would allow authorities to investigate and prosecute people accused of undermining the country’s sovereignty. Representatives of 10 independent news outlets signed an open letter decrying the law, saying the Hungarian government had unjustly accused them of “serving foreign interests.” “This …

Hungary will not agree to starting EU membership talks with Ukraine, minister says
1 year, 1 month ago

Hungary will not agree to starting EU membership talks with Ukraine, minister says

Associated Press  

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary will not support any European Union proposal to begin talks on making Ukraine a member of the bloc, a government minister said Thursday. Gergely Gulyas, the chief of staff to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, said at a news conference in Budapest that it was premature to begin formal talks with Kyiv on the war-ravaged country …

Hungary set to receive millions in EU money despite Orban’s threats to veto Ukraine aid
1 year, 1 month ago

Hungary set to receive millions in EU money despite Orban’s threats to veto Ukraine aid

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — Hungary is set to receive 900 million euros in European Union money, the EU’s executive arm said Thursday, despite the Hungarian prime minister’s attempts to scupper the bloc’s support for Ukraine. That money comes from the bloc’s REPowerEU program aimed at helping the 27 EU nations recover from the energy crisis that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last …

Hungary set to receive millions in EU money despite Orban's threats to veto Ukraine aid
1 year, 1 month ago

Hungary set to receive millions in EU money despite Orban's threats to veto Ukraine aid

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Hungary is set to receive 900 million euros in European Union …

Hungary’s Prime Minister Orban casts doubt on European Union accession talks for Ukraine
1 year, 3 months ago

Hungary’s Prime Minister Orban casts doubt on European Union accession talks for Ukraine

LA Times  

Prime Minister Viktor Orban delivers an address on the opening day of the Hungarian parliament’s autumn session in Budapest on Monday. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban cast doubt on the prospect of the European Union beginning negotiations any time soon for Ukraine to join the bloc, saying it was unrealistic to launch the accession process with a country that’s at …

EU executive chides Poland, Hungary for democratic deficiencies
1 year, 6 months ago

EU executive chides Poland, Hungary for democratic deficiencies

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The report said there were still “serious concerns" related …

EU institutions pile more pressure on Hungary over rights
1 year, 8 months ago

EU institutions pile more pressure on Hungary over rights

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The four biggest groups in the European Union’s legislature added more pressure on Hungary on Monday to counter what they see as steadfast deterioration in rule of law and democratic principles in the central European member state. The Christian Democrat, Socialist, Liberal and Green groups — in addition to the smaller Left group — issued a joint letter …

EU reaches deal on Ukraine aid, tax on big corporations
2 years ago

EU reaches deal on Ukraine aid, tax on big corporations

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The European Union …

Orban says Hungary will stick to veto of EU-Ukraine aid plan
2 years, 1 month ago

Orban says Hungary will stick to veto of EU-Ukraine aid plan

Associated Press  

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary’s prime minister said Friday that he will continue to oppose a European Union plan to provide an 18-billion-euro aid package to Ukraine in 2023, a position that promises sustained tensions as the bloc and the nationalist Hungarian government wrangle over democratic standards. We are not in favor of this because we do not want the European …

EU Commission proposes blocking billions in funds to Hungary
2 years, 1 month ago

EU Commission proposes blocking billions in funds to Hungary

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Union’s executive branch recommended Wednesday that billions of euros of EU funds allocated to Hungary remain frozen over its failure to implement solid rule-of-law reforms, a move highlighting the growing rift between the EU’s traditional Western democratic values and its partner’s democratic backsliding. The EU’s executive branch proposed in September that the bloc suspend around 7.5 …

EU Commission proposes blocking billions in funds to Hungary
2 years, 1 month ago

EU Commission proposes blocking billions in funds to Hungary

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The European Union’s executive branch …

EU Commission proposes blocking billions in funds to Hungary
2 years, 1 month ago

EU Commission proposes blocking billions in funds to Hungary

LA Times  

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto attends the second day of the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest, Romania, on Wednesday. The European Union’s executive branch recommended Wednesday that billions of euros of EU funds allocated to Hungary remain frozen over its failure to implement solid rule-of-law reforms, a move highlighting the growing rift between the EU’s traditional …

Hungary appeals for time, as EU weighs hefty fund freeze
2 years, 3 months ago

Hungary appeals for time, as EU weighs hefty fund freeze

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — Hungary needs time and is urging its European Union partners to be “tolerant,” the country’s justice minister said Tuesday, after the bloc’s executive branch recommended suspending billions of euros in funding over concerns about democratic backsliding and the possible mismanagement of EU money. The commission on Sunday took the unprecedented action of recommending that Hungary’s 26 EU partners …

Hungary faces reckoning with EU that could cost it billions
2 years, 3 months ago

Hungary faces reckoning with EU that could cost it billions

Associated Press  

BUDAPEST, Hungary — After his headline performance at Hungary’s Sziget Festival last month, pop star Justin Bieber held a grandiose party for his staff in a luxurious countryside setting — a 19th century castle owned by the son-in-law of the country’s prime minister. in the highest levels of government.” EU commissioner Hahn’s memo also pointed to irregularities in public procurements …

EU lawmakers declare that Hungary is no longer a democracy
2 years, 3 months ago

EU lawmakers declare that Hungary is no longer a democracy

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — European Union lawmakers on Thursday declared that Hungary has become “a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy” under the leadership of its nationalist government, and that its undermining of the bloc’s democratic values had taken Hungary out of the community of democracies. The lawmakers said that Hungary — which its populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban characterizes as an “illiberal …

EU lawmakers declare that Hungary is no longer a democracy
2 years, 3 months ago

EU lawmakers declare that Hungary is no longer a democracy

LA Times  

European Parliament members meet in a plenary session on Wednesday in Strasbourg, eastern France. European Union lawmakers on Thursday said that Hungary’s nationalist government is deliberately trying to undermine the bloc’s democratic values and they deplored the failure of the 26 other EU countries to take action that would bring the country back into line. The French Greens parliamentarian who …

EU legislators say Hungary is no longer a ‘full democracy’
2 years, 3 months ago

EU legislators say Hungary is no longer a ‘full democracy’

Al Jazeera  

Hungary is furious after MEPs voted 433 in favour and 123 against a resolution declaring the country in breach of EU norms. Hungary has reacted furiously to a vote in the European Parliament that declared that the country was no longer a “full democracy” and that the European Union needed to act. With their vote, the EU lawmakers endorsed a …

Hungarian lawmakers propose curbing power of EU Parliament
2 years, 5 months ago

Hungarian lawmakers propose curbing power of EU Parliament

Associated Press  

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Lawmakers in Hungary passed a resolution Tuesday that calls for curbing the power of the European Union’s parliament, arguing that it has steered democracy in Europe into a “dead end.” The resolution, adopted by members of Hungary’s governing Fidesz party, advocates giving national parliaments the ability to veto any legislation proposed at the EU level, thereby reducing …

EU starts process to cut funding to Hungary over rule of law
2 years, 9 months ago

EU starts process to cut funding to Hungary over rule of law

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — The European Commission will launch proceedings to suspend support payments to Hungary for breaching the 27-nation bloc’s rule-of-law standards, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday. Von der Leyen’s announcement at the European Parliament came two days after Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared victory in Sunday’s election, claiming a mandate for a fourth term. Von …

Opposition vows end to Orban's autocratic rule in Hungary
2 years, 9 months ago

Opposition vows end to Orban's autocratic rule in Hungary

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A …

EU can withhold funds from Hungary, Poland, top court rules
2 years, 10 months ago

EU can withhold funds from Hungary, Poland, top court rules

Associated Press  

BRUSSELS — In a ruling hailed as a boost to democratic values, the European Union’s highest court said Wednesday that the 27-nation bloc can suspend support payments to member states if they breach rule of law principles. When it comes to democratic principles, “the European Union must be able to defend those values, within the limits of its powers,” the …

Orban: Hungary will defy EU court ruling on asylum policy
3 years ago

Orban: Hungary will defy EU court ruling on asylum policy

Associated Press  

BUDAPEST — Hungary will not change its immigration policies despite a recent ruling from the European Union’s top court that found them in contradiction with the bloc’s laws, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Tuesday. A ruling last year by the European Court of Justice found that Hungary had failed to respect EU law by conducting pushbacks of people entering the …

Hungary sticks to veto of EU budget over rule-of-law issue
4 years, 1 month ago

Hungary sticks to veto of EU budget over rule-of-law issue

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Hungary's prime minister on Wednesday called the European Union's proposed …

Hungary Plans To Veto EU Budget And COVID Recovery Scheme, Poland Could Follow
4 years, 1 month ago

Hungary Plans To Veto EU Budget And COVID Recovery Scheme, Poland Could Follow

News 18  

BUDAPEST/WARSAW: Hungary plans to veto the European Union’s 2021-27 budget and its post-COVID recovery scheme, and Poland could follow suit as both object to a proposal to make funding conditional on member states’ adherence to the rule of law. Nationalist governments in Budapest and Warsaw have been at odds with European partners for years over a perceived erosion of democratic …

Hungary approves extra government powers, with no end date
4 years, 9 months ago

Hungary approves extra government powers, with no end date

Associated Press  

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Hungary’s parliament on Monday approved a bill giving Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government extraordinary powers during the coronavirus pandemic, and setting no end date for them. “The extraordinary measures are related to the pandemic, to its prevention, its elimination and the prevention of the damaging economic consequences,” said Csaba Domotor, a deputy minister in Orban’s Cabinet Office. …

Hungary’s parliament votes to let Viktor Orban rule by decree in wake of coronavirus pandemic
4 years, 9 months ago

Hungary’s parliament votes to let Viktor Orban rule by decree in wake of coronavirus pandemic

CNN  

CNN — Hungary’s parliament has voted to allow Prime Minister Viktor Orban to rule by decree indefinitely, in order to combat the coronavirus pandemic, giving the populist leader extra powers to unilaterally enact a series of sweeping measures. Amnesty International warned it gives Orban’s government “carte blanche to restrict human rights.” “This is not the way to address the very …

Hungary’s PM Orban gets sweeping powers to tackle coronavirus
4 years, 9 months ago

Hungary’s PM Orban gets sweeping powers to tackle coronavirus

Al Jazeera  

Nationalist gov’t says emergency powers necessary in crisis but critics fear open-ended rules are vulnerable to abuse. Hungary’s government has passed a law that grants nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban special powers to take extraordinary measures to tackle the coronavirus crisis, sparking concerns that it could lead to an “abuse of power”. The core democratic thing has been broken.” Mate …

Hungary approves extra government powers, with no end date
4 years, 9 months ago

Hungary approves extra government powers, with no end date

LA Times  

Members of the military police patrol the streets in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday. Hungary’s parliament on Monday approved a bill giving Prime Minister Viktor Orban‘s government extraordinary powers during the coronavirus pandemic, and setting no end date for them. “The extraordinary measures are related to the pandemic, to its prevention, its elimination and the prevention of the damaging economic consequences,” …

Hungary: Europe’s Bad Boy
5 years, 6 months ago

Hungary: Europe’s Bad Boy

Al Jazeera  

We investigate why Hungary, under its authoritarian leader Viktor Orban, has repeatedly clashed with the European Union. “If the Hungarian government would actually examine their asylum claims on substance, they would have a good chance of getting international protection because of the situations they come from: civil war, torture, political persecution.” This might be the direction that we are heading, …

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