EU officials signal Hungary close to unlocking more funds

The officials, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said judicial reforms enacted by Prime Minster Viktor Orban's government last summer contributed to strengthening judicial independence. They said the Brussels-based European Commission, the EU executive that holds the bloc's budget, was in touch with Budapest about "the last outstanding points". are likely to come to fruition," said one of the officials.

European Union officials on Thursday said Hungary was close to unlocking a "certain amount of money" the bloc had previously frozen over concerns Budapest has damaged democratic checks-and-balances in the country. The officials, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said judicial reforms enacted by Prime Minster Viktor Orban's government last summer contributed to strengthening judicial independence.

They said the Brussels-based European Commission, the EU executive that holds the bloc's budget, was in touch with Budapest about "the last outstanding points". "These now... are likely to come to fruition," said one of the officials. "And that will indeed, provided this is finally OK, lead to a certain amount of money being unblocked."

These comments come as Hungary blocked multiple strands of EU aid to Ukraine and the Commission is looking to sway Orban ahead of a Dec.14-15 summit of EU leaders in Brussels expected to decide on the matter.

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