Hungary ponders Von der Leyen’s recovery plan

As PM Orbán expresses doubts about the €750 billion restart package announced by the European Commission, opinions diverge on why he doesn’t wholeheartedly embrace the project.

In Magyar Hírlap, Mariann Őry thinks the Hungarian response must be strictly guided by the national interest and the government should coordinate its reaction with the rest of the Visegrád 4. She shares the Prime Minister’s concern that a jointly guaranteed credit will indebt member countries for a generation to come. Future generations will also be liable to repay the debts of those who will be allotted the highest share of the package, but might not be able to repay their share of the credit, she warns. The government’s misgivings are therefore understandable, she concludes.

In Népszava, Róbert Friss suggests that the government is in two minds about the recovery plan for selfish reasons. On the one hand, one fourth of the package is devoted to direct subsidies which don’t have to be repaid. On the other hand, he continues, joint financial liabilities taken by the member countries will imply stricter controls over how the money is spent. He believes this is why the government is undecided about Ms von der Leyen’s package.

Tags: Orbán, von der Leyen