Hungary Appeals for Time as EU Weighs Hefty Fund Freeze
BRUSSELS—Hungary needs time and is urging its European Union partners to be “tolerant,” the country’s justice minister said Tuesday, after the bloc’s executive branch recommended suspending billions of euros in funding over concerns about democratic backsliding and the possible mismanagement of EU money.
Justice Minister Judit Varga said that Hungary has proposed 17 measures which are “capable of remedying all the concerns” expressed by European Commission. EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn recommended over the weekend that 7.5 billion euros (dollars) from Hungary’s EU funds be frozen.
“Time is needed, because even if there are accelerated procedures to adopt laws and amend legislation, you need to set up new institutions. For that, you have to hire new personnel,” Varga told reporters in Brussels. She said she expects Hungary to have until mid-November to show it’s on the right track….