Orbán’s Fidesz fuels Hungary’s resentment as EU money flows to Ukraine
Fidesz MEP Tamás Deutsch has called for transparency regarding the funds handed over by the European Commission to Ukraine. In an interview with public radio, Deutsch expressed concerns about the amount of money allocated to Ukraine and the legal mechanisms under which it was granted.
According to Deutsch, the funds were granted from the funding of the first two-and-a-half years of the European Union budget cycle, which began in 2021. He emphasized the need to clarify the amount of financial support provided by the EU to Ukraine since the outbreak of the conflict, including arms deliveries, loans, and subsidies. Deutsch accused the “Brussels bureaucracy” of employing deceptive tactics to conceal the actual amount of money given to Ukraine, comparing it to the budget management methods used during the era of former Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány.
Deutsch highlighted that the EU budget was approved by the European Council and the European Parliament in December 2020, with the issue of funding for Ukraine emerging afterward. He suggested that the billions of euros allocated to Ukraine may have been reallocated from other EU programs, both authorized and unauthorized. Deutsch called for an explanation as to why the disbursement of EU funds to member states was slow, mentioning the cases of funds being withheld from Poland and Hungary, which he characterized as “political blackmail.” He also criticized the distribution of regional development funds, stating that only 2.5 percent had been allocated to the EU member states over the past three years.
Furthermore, Deutsch claimed that Hungary and Poland have not received any funding from the recovery fund, while three other member states have been rewarded with funds. He alleged that the remaining 22 member states have received less than 20 percent of the available funds until the end of December 2026. Questioning the diversion of funds to Ukraine, Deutsch wondered whether EU member states were not receiving their allocated funds because the money was being redirected elsewhere, despite the absence of any authorization or provision in the seven-year budget for such redirection.
The call for transparency and clarification regarding EU funds allocated to Ukraine underscores concerns expressed by Deutsch and raises questions about the distribution and management of funds within the European Union.
