Hungary’s newly installed prime minister, has hinted at an imminent breakthrough with Brussels, saying that a deal to unlock billions in frozen EU funds could be just days away.
Hungary’s Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, has declared that his country is on the verge of unfreezing European Union funds that were suspended under the previous government led by Viktor Orbán.
Speaking in a video message posted on Facebook on Thursday, Magyar confirmed that he had travelled to Brussels for high-stakes negotiations aimed at releasing the blocked money.
“I don’t want to speak prematurely, but we are now very close to an agreement,” the prime minister said.
The minister also acknowledged that a number of outstanding issues remain, particularly regarding anti-corruption measures, but stressed that “agreement has already been reached on many important points.”
On April 29 — while still prime minister-designate — Magyar held talks in Brussels with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the same issue.
The European Commission is reported to have laid out 27 conditions for Budapest to unlock the funds. These include stricter anti-corruption checks and the repeal of certain decisions made by Orbán while still in office, which Brussels views as violations of EU rules.
