Commenting on the delay to the approval of Hungary’s 2,500 billion forint (EUR 7bn) recovery plan, Finance Minister Mihály Varga said the hurdles were political.
He insisted the government’s sovereign decisions, while in line with the EU’s basic values, were not to the taste of Brussels. “We are locked in a dispute, but let’s hope that the responses we have given to their comments will be convincing,” he said. Varga said the country’s recovery programmes would be financed by Hungary’s budget pending Brussels’ approval, even if the logjam lasts into 2022, he added.
Varga said it would be too early to make a decision on introducing the euro in the 2022-2026 parliamentary term. Meanwhile, the minister said he supported Hungary’s EU membership and would vote for its accession if the question were put to a referendum this year. But, he added, Hungary is likely to be a net contributor to the EU’s budget in a decade’s time, and in this case the question would have a different complexion.
hungarymatters.hu
