Key facts
- Hungary's anti-corruption watchdog alleges a scheme to defraud EU taxpayers during Viktor Orbán's tenure.
- The authority estimates €3.5 billion was lost through inflated prices on government contracts.
- The watchdog's president stated that high-level politicians should be prosecuted.
- New Prime Minister Péter Magyar has pledged to combat corruption and recover misappropriated funds.
- Hungary plans to establish an asset recovery office and join the European Public Prosecutor's Office.
Top officials in the former government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán should be investigated for allegedly overseeing a scheme that defrauded the EU of billions of euros, according to Hungary's anti-corruption watchdog. Ferenc Pál Biró, president of the Hungarian Integrity Authority, stated that high-level politicians may face prosecution for their involvement in systematically defrauding European taxpayers during Orbán's 16-year rule.
Biró indicated that his team has identified criminal cases where funds could be recovered and repatriated, as most have already left the country. The watchdog claims three companies were awarded the majority of government contracts, with prices artificially inflated. Biró stated that the overpricing, believed to be subject to corruption, amounts to €3.5 billion, and that public procurement tenders were manipulated.
The call for investigation comes as Orbán's successor, Péter Magyar, seeks to regain access to over €10 billion in EU funds frozen due to rule-of-law concerns. Magyar, who took office in May, has pledged to fight corruption and recover stolen funds. His government plans to establish a National Office for Asset Recovery and join the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which investigates and prosecutes crimes involving the EU budget.
A European Commission spokesperson affirmed a zero-tolerance policy for fraud against the EU budget and stated that member states are responsible for preventing and detecting irregularities, with the Commission following up to ensure recovery of misappropriated funds.