EU Freezes Nearly €22 Billion in Funds Earmarked for Hungary
- European Commission cites Hungary’s failure to protect rights
- Decision raises stakes in Orban’s rule-of-law clash with EU
Vikto Orban
Photographer: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The European Union’s executive will withhold almost all of the €22 billion in cohesion funds earmarked for Hungary until the country resolves concerns over the rule of law and the protection of human rights.
In an economic blow to nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government, the European Commission assessed that Hungary hadn’t met the conditions to receive the regional funds. The aid is used to strengthen the economic and social cohesion of less-wealthy countries in the 27-nation bloc.