Kind of a pariah in the European Union (EU), the government of Hungary presented this Monday (19) to Parliament a package of anti-corruption bills in an attempt to prevent about € 7.5 billion (R$ 39 billion) of your funds in the block are suspended.
The move represents a rare turning point in Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government, which is constantly on a collision course with the EU. Pressured by an economic crisis, the ultra-rightist retreated and decided to comply with the bloc’s demands in search of the release of funds.
The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, recommended on Sunday (18) the suspension of funds over what it described as the Hungarian government’s failure to fight corruption and protect the rule of law, but also detailed the requirements the country should meet. if it wanted to maintain access to finance.
The announcement is part of a budget-cutting process initiated by the EU two days after the re-election of Orbán, who in April won his fifth term at the head of the country. In the months that followed, a series of negotiations were organized, and the prime minister even described the bloc’s decision as a kind of “boring joke”.
On Sunday night, government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said on a social network that, later this week, legislation would be presented to establish an authority to supervise public purchases involving funds linked to the EU, a demand by the bloc that hitherto ignored by Budapest.
“We are finally reaching a solution,” he wrote on Twitter, when he shared an official text on the matter. The material, in a passage that may seem contradictory, celebrates that the EU has linked the demand for anti-corruption mechanisms to the non-suspension of the budget, as it says that “as Hungary will fulfill its commitments, this scenario will finally be no longer viable”.
Among the measures announced is a change in the legislation on the country’s cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf), so that the body receives support from Hungarian tax officials and authorities in its investigations and has easier access to documents.
In addition to the package announced this Monday, the government says that another set of measures will be taken to the Legislature on Friday (23).
“A difficult but constructive negotiation process has been completed,” Justice Minister Judit Varga wrote on her official Facebook page. “Hungary has not yet lost EU funds and, based on the decision of the European Commission, this danger is not even imminent,” she continued.
“If the Hungarian government fulfills its commitments, the procedure will be completed by the end of the year,” Varga said. “We work so that the Hungarian people receive the resources they are entitled to.”
The NGO Transparency International, which produces annual monitoring of perceived levels of corruption in the public sector, ranks Hungary 73rd out of 180 countries — Brazil is 96th.
The country’s score has dropped almost continuously over the past ten years. In 2012, it was 55, while in the last report, in 2021, it was 43 — the closer to 100, the better.
Averse to the EU’s criticism of human rights violations and disrespect for democracy in Hungary, Orbán’s government recently relegated the country to the status of “electoral autocracy” in the European Parliament.
In practice, the denomination means that the country has multiparty elections for the Executive, but falls short of other democratic pillars due to significant irregularities in institutional guarantees, such as freedom of the press and judicial independence.
After the last elections, a committee of international observers linked to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) evaluated that the election respects practical electoral procedures, but it was far from being a balanced dispute.
They said, among other things, that there was no transparency in campaign finances; most media outlets did not provide independent coverage; and the electoral rules, reformed by Orbán, led the ruling party, Fidesz, to merge with the state.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
