Hungary’s right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is threatening to veto the European Union’s next seven-year budget if Brussels does not release the EU funds currently blocked for Hungary.
Orbán made the threat during an interview with Hungarian state radio on Friday. Approval of the EU budget requires the agreement of all member states.
“I can safely say that I will not contribute to this,” he said, referring to the budget, “if the funds still blocked for Hungary are not provided for in the next long-term budget.”
He has put pressure on the European Commission with veto threats several times in the past.
The commission is currently still blocking almost €12 billion ($12.7 billion) of the funding earmarked for Hungary, as well as billions in coronavirus aid.
Brussels will only release these funds when Hungary implements further reforms to strengthen the rule of law.
Negotiations on the next long-term EU budget from 2028 to 2035 are expected to begin in mid-2025.
