In December 2022, European Union institutions suspended and tied to conditions Hungary’s access to EU funds under various procedures due to severe breaches of the rule of law and human rights. Ahead of the upcoming re-assessment by the Commission and the Council in the framework of the conditionality mechanism in December 2024, Hungarian civil society organisations looked at the steps the Hungarian government has taken to date to address the deficiencies identified by the Commission and the representatives of Member States in the Council.

In their detailed assessment, Amnesty International Hungary, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, K-Monitor and Transparency International Hungary show that the Hungarian government had not taken adequate measures in order to fully address the rule of law and human rights concerns raised, and it had not complied with significant conditions established by EU institutions. There are areas where no progress has been made at all, many of the required measures are severely delayed, and flaws in the regulation and the practice undermine the capacity of legal amendments and new measures to effect real change. The Hungarian government’s approach suggests that it looks at the conditions set by the EU and Member States as a “ticking-the-box” exercise at best, without a real commitment to restoring the rule of law and respect for human rights in Hungary. While it is true that certain legislative and administrative steps were taken by the government, the implementation of the reforms falls short of expectations. In certain areas, such as freedom of information and the independence of the judiciary, amendments to the respective legal framework as well as proposed new government initiatives showcase a backsliding and threaten with further deterioration.

The full assessment is available here. The summary table with a “traffic light” assessment is also available in English and Hungarian.