Hungary needs to boost the independence of its judiciary ‘very soon’ to have a realistic chance of getting a share of the 15.4 billion euros earmarked for Budapest from the European Union’s Covid recovery stimulus, said a senior EU official. .
Hungary will receive around €5.8 billion in free grants and another €9.6 billion in cheap loans from the EU, but the bloc has suspended any payments until Budapest implements reforms to improve the judicial independence and fight against corruption.
“They will have to adopt laws that will strengthen the position of judges, which will strengthen actions against corruption,” said Věra Jourová, deputy head of the European Commission, after a Hungarian delegation held talks at the EU executive headquarters in Brussels this week . .
Jourová, responsible for maintaining democratic standards in the 27-nation union, added that improving public procurement in Hungary is another requirement.
“These are very concrete things, which the Hungarian government has promised to fix or install very soon… time is playing against them,” he said in comments released for publication on Friday.
Hungary and Poland are the only EU member states that are falling behind in securing funds, amid long-standing criticism from the Commission that their nationalist and populist governments are undermining democracy and the rule of law.
European taxpayers “don’t want their money to go to places where there is no respect for the rule of law, where life is very difficult for LGBT+ people or other minorities,” Jourová said.
Source: Terra

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.