€18 billion of European funds are currently blocked to sanction the rule of law shortcomings of the Orbán government in Hungary
Justice & Anti-CorruptionHungary
- Omissions
- The exact amount has fluctuated slightly depending on the date and source. Euronews reported €18 billion frozen in July 2025 (€8.4 billion cohesion funds + €9.5 billion COVID-19 recovery funds), while Reuters reported €17 billion blocked on April 27, 2026. The MEP could have been aware of either figure depending on which source they referenced.
- The frozen funds consist of two main components: cohesion funds (around €8.4 billion) and COVID-19 recovery plan funds (around €9.5 billion).
- As of April 27, 2026, reports indicated the amount was €17 billion rather than €18 billion, though the difference is relatively small (around 5.5%).
- Sources
- SecondaryReuters€17 billion in EU funds that have been blocked due to rule-of-law concerns under the outgoing government
- SecondaryEuronews€18 billion frozen - combining around €8.4 billion in cohesion funds and €9.5 billion in COVID-19 recovery funds