European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Hungary’s National Assembly that the European Union had restored access to several EU programmes and funds after the country took steps on corruption and the rule of law.
Speaking in Budapest during a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, von der Leyen referred to the uprising and the Soviet crackdown, including “tens of thousands” killed or wounded and 200,000 people who fled Hungary, according to her speech published by the European Commission on Friday.
Von der Leyen also said Hungary had seen a change in political direction following elections held “six months ago”, describing them as the highest turnout since the end of Communist rule and saying eight in every ten Hungarians voted.
EU funding and programmes restored
Von der Leyen said Hungary had “strengthened rules to combat fraud and corruption”, increased transparency over public spending and would join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office — an EU body that investigates and prosecutes crimes affecting the EU budget — according to the Commission.
She stated that “European funding is back”, that access to the EU research programme Horizon Europe had been restored, and that Hungarian students could again participate in Erasmus, the EU’s student exchange scheme.
More EU support was due later this year, she added, referring to NextGenerationEU — the EU’s post-pandemic recovery fund — and to funding linked to academic freedom.
