Hungary Submits Plan For EU Covid Fund To Brussels

Hungary has submitted to Brussels a national plan for tapping into the EU's post-pandemic recovery fund, the European Commission said Wednesday

Budapest, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th May, 2021 ) :Hungary has submitted to Brussels a national plan for tapping into the EU's post-pandemic recovery fund, the European Commission said Wednesday.

The 750-billion-euro ($905-billion) rescue package of grants and loans comprises funds contributed by the EU's 27 member states to help the bloc's economies hard hit by the coronavirus.

Budapest and Warsaw threatened to veto the recovery fund last year along with the entire EU budget over proposals to link some fund payments to rule of law conditions, describing it as "political blackmail".

Hungary has requested 7.2 billion Euros in grants to support its "green transition, healthcare, research, digital, cohesion and public administration" until 2026, the European Commission said in a statement.

According to Hungarian opposition politicians, the commission rejected a previous version of the plan due to concerns over a controversial government reform of Hungary's university sector.

Last month parliament, dominated by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party, approved the reform to transfer most universities into quasi-private foundations that will be run by government-friendly boards.

Orban's critics said the foundations, which will be lavishly funded, would restrict university autonomy and academic freedom.

Szabolcs Agosthazy, a senior government official in charge of EU development, told Hungarian news agency MTI that under the plan submitted to Brussels more than a third of the resources would go to further developing the health care system.