Members of the European Parliament from Hungary’s Fidesz-KDNP party are advocating for the immediate and unconditional release of European Union funds that have been withheld from their country. According to these Hungarian MEPs, approximately €6.3 billion tied to three operational programmes in Hungary was frozen last year, accounting for about 55% of the total funds designated for these initiatives. They are also pressing for the release of financial support from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, established post-pandemic, as well as Hungary’s broader cohesion funds.
The MEPs contend that Hungary negotiated approximately €22 billion in additional cohesion funding back in 2020, alleging that the European institutions are withholding some of this money for political reasons. In a related move, they have proposed an €11 billion increase to the EU budget for 2027, which includes an extra €2.5 billion earmarked for the Common Agricultural Policy. This proposal aims to bolster support for young farmers, as well as industries such as winemaking and beekeeping.
Meanwhile, Hungarian members of the Patriots for Europe group have put forward a proposal to double the EU agricultural crisis fund from €450 million to €900 million. This proposal comes in response to recent issues such as drought-related crop losses and escalating costs impacting livestock farmers. They are also advocating for enhanced funding for border protection and are calling for the reimbursement of Hungary’s border-control expenses, alongside a review of the EU migration pact.
Additionally, these Hungarian representatives are pushing for the restoration of Erasmus funding for Hungarian university students who have been affected by restrictions on their participation in the programme. They have also suggested reducing EU funding for civil society organisations by €250 million, arguing that these funds have been used as a means of exerting politically motivated pressure on member states.