On 30 November, the European Commission announced its support for the adoption of the Hungarian plan to draw down the resources of the EU recovery fund, allowing Hungary the use of EUR 5.8 billion (approximately HUF 2,300 billion) in direct grant. At the same time, the Brussels body maintained the blocking of an additional EUR 7.5 billion (approximately HUF 3,000 billion) for cohesion funds and made the payments subject to 27 "super milestones”. The opinion poll conducted by Századvég in December mapped how the population relates to the Hungarian government’s efforts in order for the disbursement of EU funds, focusing on the perception of the new conditions imposed by Brussels.
The Government of Hungary has been negotiating for months with the European Commission in order to ensure that Hungary receives the cohesion funds and the amounts of the recovery fund that are rightfully due to it. As a result of the dialogue, Hungary undertook to implement a 17-point package of measures, the elements of which have been enacted into law by the National Assembly in recent weeks.
The public significance of the issue is shown by the fact that
more than three quarters (79 percent) of those surveyed have heard that Brussels has made the disbursement of EU funds to our country conditional on the fulfilment of 17 legal, institutional conditions.
It can also be noted that a significant majority supports the efforts of the government to meet the conditions for the payment of these funds. The research reveals that
61 percent of respondents agree that the Government of Hungary is trying to meet the conditions imposed by the European Commission so that our country can receive EU funds.
Although the elements of the mentioned package of measures were developed through negotiations, with the approval of Brussels, and Hungary has completely fulfilled its commitments, the European Commission has, in retrospect, imposed additional conditions for the payment of EU funds. EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders justified the body's decision by saying that "Hungary has not made sufficient progress on the necessary reforms to address the European Commission's concerns".
According to the research data,
nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of Hungarians have heard that the Brussels body is not satisfied with the fulfilment of the previously set 17 conditions, and – having come up with new conditions – still does not pay.
It can be said that the population considers Brussels' move to be unfair.
More than half (57 percent) of those surveyed believe that the European Commission is acting unfairly towards Hungary by imposing new conditions.
CATI method, n=1000, among the Hungarian adult population, data collection: December 2022
