Disbursement of 900 million euros to Hungary approved
The EU Commission approved the payment of 900 million euros to Hungary on Thursday. In return, according to EU representatives, it is hoped that Hungary will agree to further EU aid for Ukraine. The EU Commission had withheld billions in payments from EU funding programs to Hungary due to violations of the rule of law and suspected corruption.
For its part, the government of right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban had blocked EU decisions to grant Ukraine 50 billion euros in economic aid by 2027 and to start EU accession talks with Kiev. The government in Budapest is also blocking a plan to extend EU military aid of 20 billion euros for Kiev and is rejecting further sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The advance payments to Hungary are being made as part of RePowerEU, part of the EU's post-corona pandemic recovery plan to support the energy transition away from fossil fuels. No constitutional conditions that are otherwise attached to EU financial aid need to be met. EU representatives stated that Hungary would use the RePowerEU money to modernize its electricity sector through smart meters and the digitalization of energy companies. The Commission's decision must now be approved by the EU countries, possibly at talks between the finance ministers of the 27 member states on December 8.
Despite the EU Commission's withholding of billions due to rule of law violations and suspected corruption, they approved a payout of one million euros each day, totaling 900 million Euros, to Hungary. This funding is earmarked for Hungary's modernization of its electricity sector through the implementation of smart meters and digitalization of energy companies, as part of the EU's RePowerEU plan.
Source: www.ntv.de
