The European Commission has expressed serious concern in a report about the continued failure of Hungarian authorities to thoroughly investigate corruption allegations against top-ranking officials. Viktor Orban, the country’s right-wing nationalist prime minister, has drawn criticism over his 14-year rule for undermining law and order, encroaching upon civil liberties, and marginalising vulnerable minorities in the Central European nation.
The report, unveiled on Wednesday, highlighted instances of nepotism and favouritism within the upper ranks of the country’s administration. There has been a significant lack of progress in addressing corruption committed by high-ranking officials, a circumstance the European Union views as grave.
In the previous year, 360 individuals in Hungary were found guilty of corruption-related offences, according to the report by the commission. However, the accused were primarily low to mid-ranking officials, leaving out higher-level public administration officers. Convictions in cases of corruption involving the senior leadership persistently remain scarce.
The European Commission, the governing body of the EU, publishes a yearly report assessing anti-corruption strategies and the rule of law across its 27 member countries. Their analysis of Hungary reveals significant deficiencies resulting from coercion applied to judges, journalists, and civil society outfits in the country.
Independent media outlets are confronted with what appears to be organised defamation campaigns while NGOs must navigate laws that hinder their activity, the report stated. Furthermore, questions still persist regarding the absence of judicial supervision over “clandestine surveillance” unconnected to criminal inquiries.
According to the report, an investigation by the EU’s anti-fraud division revealed a “corruption network” exploiting EU funds, leading to over 50 individuals being prosecuted on bribery charges.
An anonymous high-ranking EU official recently criticised Hungary’s lacklustiness in making advancements this past year noting the situation as not particularly heartening. To successfully try top-tier figures for corruption, he emphasised the need for a fully functional justice system. Disappointingly, he observed that no segment of Hungary’s judicial process is operating at peak efficiency.
Didier Reynders, EU commissioner for justice, while addressing a press briefing in Brussels, pointed out significant deficiencies in Hungary’s rule of law, terming it as a significant structural problem for the commission. As it stands, around €20 billion designated for Hungary by the EU is being held up given the diminishing respect for the rule of law that the commission is apprehensive about.
The recent visit of Hungary’s leader, Mr Orban to Moscow to deliberate on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, intending to act as a peacemaker, has strained relations between Budapest and other European leaders. His move is seen as an effort to undermine the EU’s stance.
The EU commission’s rule of law study also expressed stern disapproval of Slovakia’s regression, especially following the disbandment of a special prosecutor’s office by the governing nationalist party. The reassignment of prosecutors was haphazard and could disrupt ongoing trials and adversely affect the system’s overall effectiveness, as indicated by the report.
Experts and industry leaders suggest a comparatively high incidence of corruption in Slovakia’s public sector. The commission further pointed out severe apprehensions regarding Slovakia’s legal infrastructure to combat corruption due to recent criminal law amendments in the country.