The Hungarian government has announced that it will present next week a comprehensive anti-corruption bill designed to meet the European Union's requirements for the rule of law and transparency.
According to Hungarian authorities, these reforms aim to meet the conditions set by the EU in order to unlock several billion euros of European funding that is currently frozen.
The minister in charge of the matter indicated that the legislation would notably strengthen the rules concerning asset declarations by public officials. The new provisions would also include harsher penalties for omissions or false declarations.
The government led by Peter Magyar believes that these measures could unlock up to 10 billion euros of European funds for infrastructure, transport, energy projects and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.
For several years, relations between Hungary and the European Union have been marked by tensions concerning judicial independence, the fight against corruption, and respect for the rule of law. Brussels has made the disbursement of a significant portion of European aid conditional on the implementation of reforms deemed credible.
The new legislative proposals will be examined by the Hungarian Parliament in the coming days. Their adoption would constitute an important step in negotiations between Budapest and Brussels to unblock the suspended funding.
Hungarian officials claim that these reforms will improve transparency in public administration while facilitating investment in key sectors of the national economy. However, the final decision regarding the release of funds will rest with the European institutions, which will assess whether the adopted measures meet the required criteria.
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