Hungary will receive funds from the EC that were previously frozen until reforms are completed – an official announcement about this is expected to be made on Tuesday, December 12.
How writes The Guardian newspaper, citing sources in diplomatic circles, the frozen funds will be released next week, on Tuesday, and the amount is about a third of the total suspended funding for Hungary.
Sources assure that the decision is not related to statements by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban about blocking negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union:
“The timing is unfortunate because it looks like a bargain, but it’s not.”
The release of funding, the publication claims, is due to the fact that Hungary has completed the necessary judicial reforms. The remaining funds will remain frozen due to failure to meet other rule of law criteria. Source says:
“For the first time, Hungary is really responsive to our requests and it has done everything regarding the independence of the judiciary, so the money will be released.”
Meanwhile, the Hungarian opposition, as well as some MEPs, argue that Hungary has not fully completed reforms.
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