Budapest pushes to release frozen EU funds ahead of key Brussels meeting

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar is set to travel to Brussels next week to discuss the release of billions of euros in frozen European Union funds, according to the country’s foreign minister, Anita Orbán, who spoke on Saturday, May 23.

“One of our most important tasks in the first couple of months is that we will get access to the recovery and resilience funds, which is a €10.4 billion envelope for Hungary,” Orbán told POLITICO in an interview on the sidelines of the GLOBSEC conference in Prague. “And yes, I can confirm, there is a meeting planned next week in Brussels,” she added.

Orbán, who is not related to Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, said that negotiations with Brussels over the frozen funds have already been underway at the expert level in recent days, spanning several days of discussions.

In addition to the recovery funds, the Hungarian government is seeking access to €16 billion in European defence loans under the so-called SAFE program, although Orbán indicated that there is less urgency attached to this component. She noted that Budapest would need to submit a revised proposal after its initial plan was rejected by the European Commission.

“Our SAFE proposal wasn’t accepted by the European Commission. So we inevitably have to table it again,” she said. “So we will see what we can do, again within the framework of what are the real needs of the country, what are the NATO requirements, how fast and how we want to meet those and how we want to get there, as well as what is the Hungarian defence industrial needs.”

Looking ahead, Orbán said she is expected to meet many of her European counterparts for the first time at a gathering in Cyprus next week. She also stated that legal action against individuals suspected of corruption could begin within days.

“We will go after all the public money stolen because that was stolen from the Hungarian people,” she said.

On foreign policy, Orbán gave limited clarity regarding Hungary’s stance toward Ukraine and Russia. She emphasised that resolving issues related to the Hungarian minority in Ukraine remains a prerequisite before Budapest can engage in broader discussions, including Ukraine’s potential accession to the European Union.

Addressing Hungary’s reliance on Russian energy, Orbán said the government would prioritise national interests, particularly in ensuring flexibility and choice in energy sourcing.

“We want a country where we have choices, where we have decisions, [where] we can make decisions freely,” she said. “In terms of energy diversification, we need to put together an energy mix, which is the best possible for the Hungarians in terms of prices, in terms of availability and in terms of sustainability.”