The European Commission allowed on Wednesday the release of €10 billion in cohesion funds for Hungary, almost a year after the money was frozen over the country's failure to address persistent rule-of-law concerns.
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00:00 The European Commission says it will unlock 10 billion euros in cohesion funds for Hungary
00:06 in what will likely prove a controversial move.
00:11 Budapest is threatening to veto the EU`s Ukraine policy at a crucial summit in Brussels on
00:15 Thursday.
00:17 Most of the EU`s funds for Hungary were blocked last year due to concerns over the rule of
00:21 law and corruption in the country.
00:25 Now the commission is saying that Budapest has made sufficient progress when it comes
00:28 to justice reforms and is recommending the release of one part of its cohesion funds.
00:36 We as an institution have to follow the rules, right?
00:43 And as we have explained time and time again in this room, what we are looking at is whether
00:51 and how Hungary is complying with different sets of conditions.
00:57 Hungary is also threatening to veto the block`s accession talks with Ukraine, as well as blocking
01:02 a crucial financial lifeline to Kiev worth 50 billion euros.
01:07 Budapest made it clear on Tuesday for the first time that they are ready for some sort
01:11 of horse trading during Thursday`s summit.
01:14 The political adviser of Prime Minister Viktor Orban says that Hungary would lift its veto
01:19 on the Ukraine funds if the EU would release all the frozen money, including 21.7 billion
01:25 of cohesion money and 10 billion euros in pandemic recovery funds.
01:31 Leaders of the four main political groups in the European Parliament warned the commission
01:35 in a letter that the Hungarian justice reforms are not sufficient.
01:40 They want commission president Ursula von der Leyen not to give in to blackmailing by
01:44 the Orban government.
01:47 It looks nasty that you release 10 billion euros to Orban just before the council.
01:53 We don`t even know if it`s kind of a negotiation for some position tomorrow regarding Ukraine.
01:59 This kind of political games, they are not the way to go with a bully like Orban, with
02:04 an autocrat like Orban.
02:06 Talks between leaders of the 27 member states will start on Ukraine and the Middle East.
02:12 Many are considering the summit as the most difficult one this year because of Viktor
02:16 Orban`s resistance.
02:17 Thank you.
02:24 (whooshing)