The European Commission has unlocked €4.2 billion in cohesion funds for Hungary and reopened Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe access, after PM Péter Magyar's government met EU rule-of-law conditions. Brussels froze the funds in 2022 over corruption and procurement concerns under the Orbán government.
The European Commission has unfrozen €4.2 billion in previously blocked cohesion funds for Hungary, judging that Budapest has addressed earlier rule-of-law breaches. The move also clears the way for Hungary to rejoin the Erasmus+ student exchange programme and the Horizon Europe research funding initiative.
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In 2022, the EU suspended €6.3 billion in cohesion funding to Hungary under the conditionality mechanism, citing shortcomings in the country's anti-corruption framework, conflicts of interest, and systemic irregularities in public procurement.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who won a landslide election victory in April, had campaigned on a promise to unlock EU funds suspended during Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule.
"Hungary has taken important steps to strengthen the rule of law and protect the Union's financial interests," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement.
"Today, we are proposing to unlock €4.2 billion and reopen the doors of Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe to Hungarian students and researchers. I am glad that they will once again fully benefit from the opportunities our Union creates. This shows that reforms deliver results."
In May, Magyar and von der Leyen agreed to release €16.4 billion in EU funding on the condition that the country met key rule-of-law milestones. In total, Hungary was required to deliver on 27 so-called "super milestones" and more than 100 others.
In late August, Hungary announced it had met all of the conditions, including resolving the situation surrounding public interest trusts (KEKVA) — a legal structure the previous government had used to take control of public institutions such as universities.
Beyond the €4.2 billion released, Hungary is also seeking to withdraw €10 billion in recovery funds; the Commission's assessment of that request is ongoing.
A further €2 billion in cohesion funding remains blocked over concerns about the asylum system, child protection law, and academic freedom. Magyar has pledged to resolve these issues by the end of the year.