Die Presse: Hungary is slipping further into autocracy
According to the Austrian newspaper, “the loss of approximately 13.3 billion euros in support will not prevent Orbán from consolidating an autocratic form of government.”
“The parliamentary control of the Hungarian government exists only on paper, and that of the courts is greatly weakened, but even the loss of approximately 13.3 billion euros of support from the EU budget does not prevent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from consolidating the autocratic form of government” says the Die Presse on its columns.
According to the Austrian newspaper Commission at its meeting next week, it will decide that, although the Hungarian reconstruction plan basically meets the requirement, Hungary will not receive the 5.8 billion euros of support from the reconstruction fund for an indefinite period of time. According to the Commission, the Hungarian government did not implement the instructions for reforms aimed at combating high-level and widespread political corruption by the November 19 deadline. Furthermore, next week, the Commission will adopt a recommendation to its finance ministers to temporarily withhold 65 percent of Hungary’s total EU cohesion in the current 2021-2027 budget framework, the paper reads.
“These two decisions have not yet been officially announced, de facto a political decision has already been made, as was leaked to the media a few days ago about the top position of the Commission” writes the article writer. Adds:
Still, the government is trying to set the situation in a positive light.
According to Gergely Gulyás, the billions will flow from Brussels by March 31 at the latest. “This is good news for Hungary and the Commission, because Hungary is a loyal, helpful and good user of new resources, and the money invested by European taxpayers will be properly spent” Tibor Navracsics is quoted by Die Presse.
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Photo: MTI/Prime Minister’s Press Office/Zoltán Fischer