The top legal adviser to the European Court of Justice has said the European Commission should not have unblocked billions of euros in funding for Hungary. Advocate general Tamara Ćapeta argued that required judicial reforms were not properly implemented before about €10bn was released.
The commission had frozen funds in 2022 over concerns about corruption and rule-of-law backsliding under prime minister Viktor Orbán. In 2023, it decided Hungary had met the necessary conditions and lifted the suspension. The European Parliament challenged that decision, claiming the commission made serious errors and acted without sufficient transparency.
Ćapeta said the commission failed to properly assess whether reforms were effectively in force. While her opinion is not binding, judges often follow such advice. A final ruling is expected in the coming months and could force the commission to recover funds by reducing future payments.
The case could set an important precedent for how EU institutions handle rule-of-law disputes. Meanwhile, Orbán faces a strong domestic challenge from opposition figure Péter Magyar ahead of upcoming elections.
