EU Rings Alarm Over Hungary’s Plan for $4 Billion of Virus Cash
- Draft Hungary plan uses $4 billion in EU cash for universities
- Proposal reinforces corruption concerns in Hungary under Orban
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Hungary’s plan to channel as much as $4 billion of European Union stimulus money to university boards run by Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s allies is causing concern at the European Commission, which must approve use of the funds and can petition to withhold disbursements.
Hungary, like most countries, hasn’t yet submitted its plan for how it intends to use its share of the EU’s 800 billion-euro ($966 million) recovery package, but its proposal needs more work to get approval, according to three officials familiar with the matter. Budapest’s intention to use funds to overhaul the country’s universities needs particular scrutiny, said one of the officials, who asked not to be identified because the process is private.