Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said Hungary will block the next multi-year budget of the European Union unless Brussels releases the remaining EU funds frozen over rule of law concerns.
Speaking at the 34th Balvanyos Free University and Student Camp in Romania, Orban said Hungary had only received half of the EU funds it is owed and would not agree to a new budget until the rest is paid, Hungarian media outlet Index reported.
“We have already brought half of the money home, it is in our account, but the other half must be brought home. And that will happen. The adoption of a new seven-year budget requires unanimity. Until we get the money, there will be no new European budget,” Orban said, according to Anadolu Agency.
Hungary and the European Commission have long been at odds over concerns about democratic backsliding, which resulted in a partial freeze of cohesion and recovery funds to Budapest.
The Hungarian prime minister accused the current EU leadership of failing, calling for a change at the helm of the bloc.
“The current leadership of the European Union is always the last to make the worst deals. They have put the Union on a forced path, and this is leading to a trade war that we cannot win. A change of leadership in the Union is needed,” Orban said.
He claims that the European Commission has abandoned its founding mission as a peace project and is now pursuing what he called a “war agenda,” particularly in relation to Ukraine.
Orban rejected the Commission’s proposed budget, saying it allocates almost 20 percent of resources to Ukraine and military spending.
“Hungary is not interested in a war budget, we need a budget that serves peace and development, so the proposal is not even considered a basis for negotiations,” he said.
Orban also expressed concern about what he described as the growing risks of a potential world war, citing intensifying great power competition, military buildup and mass migration.
Describing the global geopolitical environment as “ominous,” Orban said Hungary must remain calm and strategically minded.
“We cannot be locked into any bloc. We must strive for balance with the East and the West,” he added.
