EU Set to Press Hungary on Judges’ Independence in Funds Clash

  • Commission wants measures as condition for pandemic money
  • Budapest must complete approval of recovery plan by year-end

Viktor Orban

Photographer: Valeria Mongelli/Bloomberg
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The European Union aims to push Hungary to strengthen the independence of the country’s judges as a condition for obtaining 5.8 billion euros ($5.8 billion) in grants from pandemic recovery funds.

The European Commission is discussing with Budapest the final details of its recovery plan as the bloc’s executive arm leans toward including milestones related to the judicial system to unlock the funds, EU officials said.