A senior adviser to the European Court of Justice has said the European Commission should not have released billions of euros in frozen funds to Hungary. Advocate general Tamara Ćapeta concluded that Hungary failed to fully implement the judicial reforms required to unlock about €10bn in EU money.
The commission suspended payments in 2022 over concerns about corruption and rule-of-law backsliding under prime minister Viktor Orbán. In 2023, it lifted the freeze, saying reforms met required standards. The European Parliament challenged that decision, arguing the commission made serious errors and acted with insufficient transparency.
Ćapeta said the commission incorrectly applied the conditions and allowed disbursement without proper explanation. Although her opinion is not binding, the court often follows such guidance. Judges are expected to rule in the coming months.
If the court sides with parliament, the commission may need to recover the funds through future budget reductions. The case could set a major precedent for how the EU enforces rule-of-law standards. Meanwhile, Orbán faces growing political pressure at home from challenger Péter Magyar ahead of upcoming elections.
