BUDAPEST, May 28 (Reuters) – Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar on Thursday said a deal on releasing frozen European Union funds was “very close” as there is agreement with Brussels on many issues, although some questions remain over the fight against corruption.
Magyar arrived in Brussels on Thursday to negotiate the release of EU funds that were frozen under the previous government led by Viktor Orban. The EU ruled that administration did not comply with its standards on the rule-of-law and guarantees against corruption.
“I do not want to jinx it, but we are now very close to an agreement,” Magyar said in a video on his Facebook page.
Magyar had said earlier that he was planning to sign a political agreement on EU funds in Brussels this week.
The release of EU funds is vital for the Hungarian economy, which has been practically stagnating for three years and also for the severely stretched Hungarian state budget.
Magyar said on Thursday that he would meet European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at 1300 CET on Friday to smooth out any outstanding issues that have not yet been agreed upon during extensive preparatory talks.
The Hungarian prime minister said that there are some issues to be settled with regards to the fight against corruption, although “a deal has been reached on many important issues.”
Magyar also said he would soon submit Hungary’s official request to join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The new Hungarian government is under pressure to unlock Hungary’s share of the EU recovery fund money before an August 31 deadline: 6.5 billion euros in grants and 3.9 billion euros in cheap loans.
Some 7 billion euros in EU structural funds are also frozen, but the country has several years to access this cash.
On the question of Ukraine’s EU accession, Magyar reiterated that Hungary would only agree to Ukraine starting talks if there is an agreement on minority rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine.
He said talks on this issue were ongoing and were “encouraging.”
(Reporting by Krisztina Than and Anita Komuves; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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