Gergely Gulyás: Whoever supports this budget, finds Ukraine more important than Hungary
According to the minister, the leaked proposal allocates a quarter of the EU's entire budget—€190 billion for Ukraine and €88 billion for enlargement purposes—while cutting funding for cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. 'They're taking money away from farmers and cohesion and sending it to Ukraine. Anyone who supports this is placing Ukraine ahead of Hungary,' Gulyás declared.
The government expressed full solidarity with Hungarian farmers protesting the cuts. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had earlier warned that the proposal would make European farmers the biggest losers while positioning Ukraine as the primary beneficiary. 'This draft cannot even serve as a basis for negotiations,' Gulyás asserted, adding that the Commission also aims to expand EU bureaucracy by hiring 2,500 new employees and increasing their salaries—moves the Hungarian government considers unjustifiable.
In response, Hungary is calling on all political actors to reject the Commission's proposal and reaffirm their support for a cohesive agricultural policy that benefits all EU citizens. The government also urged a return to an objective cohesion policy, free from political conditionality.
Beyond budget issues, the government introduced the 'Home Start' loan program. Starting September 1, working Hungarians without their own home will be eligible for a 3% mortgage loan of up to HUF 50 million. The loan—available for a maximum of 25 years—can be used for flats priced up to HUF 100 million or houses up to HUF 150 million, with a price cap of HUF 1.5 million per square meter. The regulatory framework will be finalized by early August.
The briefing also addressed growing concerns about Ukraine's internal practices. Minister Gulyás condemned the recent death of Sebestyén József, a Hungarian-Ukrainian dual citizen who died from injuries sustained during violent forced conscription. He stated that any country where such practices occur is unfit for EU membership. 'He was not only Ukrainian, but a European Union citizen,' Gulyás said, calling the lack of response from other EU member states 'shocking.' Hungary has proposed adding three Ukrainian military officials involved in the case to the EU sanctions list.
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