EU moves to suspend billions in financial support to Viktor Orban’s Hungary

Brussels gets tough with far-right government over rule of law

Viktor Orban’s government has until 19 November to address the EU’s concerns (AP)

The European Commission has proposed suspending around a third of Hungary’s EU funding over its government’s questionable approach to the rule of law.

EU budget commissioner Johannes Hahn said on Sunday that the central European country should be stripped of €7.5bn (£6.5bn) of the €22bn in cohesion funds that Budapest is set to receive during the current round of EU budget spending. This represents about 65 per cent of the money allocated under three specific funding streams.

The proposal, if carried, would represent the bloc’s clearest action yet against Viktor Orban's far-right government, which has been accused of corruption and undermining democratic norms.