Hungary and EU Formally Launch Negotiations to Release €17 Billion Frozen Funds

On April 27, 2026, Hungary and the European Union formally launched negotiations to release billions in frozen EU funds following the April 12 election of Péter Magyar's Tisza Party. The discussions mark the first structured talks between the incoming Magyar transition team and EU Commission officials since the election result. The €17 billion at stake — comprising €10.4B in Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) funds and €7.5B in cohesion funds — has been frozen since 2022 over rule-of-law and anti-corruption concerns under Orbán. Hungary must now fulfill 27 'super milestones' covering judicial independence, public procurement transparency, and fundamental rights guarantees before disbursement can proceed. An August 31, 2026 deadline applies to the RRF tranche, creating urgency for a swift political agreement. EU officials described the change in Budapest as a 'historic window of opportunity' for normalizing relations.