European Commission demands €93 million from Hungary

This follows a previous notice issued on November 4, which set a 15-day deadline for a payment of €93 million.

Author

Andrew Davison
November 19, 2024

This demand is part of an ongoing situation where Hungary has failed to pay a €200 million fine, plus a daily penalty of €1 million, which was imposed by the European Court of Justice in June due to Hungary's non-compliance with EU asylum laws.

Government's Response

In response to the initial ruling, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán criticized the EU's decision, describing it as "outrageous and unacceptable," asserting Hungary's commitment to protecting its borders and its people from what he termed "financial blackmail" by Brussels.

The deadline for the initial €200 million payment has already passed, and Hungary now faces a deadline of November 19 for the €93 million. If payment is not made by then, the European Commission may claim a total of €293 million plus interest starting from November 20. Currently, this amount converts to approximately 144.07 billion forints.

Potential Consequences

If Hungary continues to default on these payments, EU regulations allow for the deduction of these fines from funds due to Hungary from the European Union. This situation underscores ongoing tensions between Hungary and EU institutions regarding compliance with shared regulations.

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