Hungary tries to unlock funds frozen amid EU disciplinary process

Viktor Orban has sent a top official to Brussels in effort to obtain Covid recovery funds worth billions of euros as deadline nears

Hungary hopes to strike a deal with Brussels on blocked EU funds by the end of the year, as it races against the clock to unlock billions that have been frozen over concerns about state-captured institutions and corruption.

If Budapest fails to reach an agreement with the European commission by the end of 2022, it stands to lose 4.64bn (3.91bn) in Covid recovery funds, while questions remain over a potential 24.3bn six-year funding programme to upgrade its national infrastructure.