FM Anita Orbán: Stolen EU Funds Investigations Can Start 'Within Days'

On May 23, Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán told media that investigations into misappropriated EU funds from the Orbán era could begin 'within days.' The statement followed the Magyar government's April 29 application to join the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) — a critical EU rule-of-law milestone that Orbán had refused to fulfill throughout his 16-year tenure. EPPO membership would allow Hungarian prosecutors to collaborate with EU-level investigators on cases involving EU funds, bypassing the Orbán-era Prosecutor General (Gábor Bálint Nagy) who had consistently shelved politically sensitive anti-corruption cases. FM Orbán stated: 'We are determined to recover every euro that was stolen from Hungarian and European taxpayers.' Separately, the first major post-election ministerial media round was held, with Finance Minister Kármán discussing school support payments and MP salary cuts, and Defense Minister Ruszin-Szendi confirming Hungary's attendance at the NATO Ankara Summit in July 2026.