European Commission launches probe into Hungarian highway concession

The European Commission has launched an infringement procedure against Hungary regarding a 35-year highway concession agreement. The contract, valued at approximately 17.3 trillion forints, involves the operation, maintenance, and development of a 1,237-kilometer motorway network. The concession was awarded to Magyar Koncessziós Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Zrt., which includes interests of Lőrinc Mészáros and László Szijjártó.

The Commission argues that the contract lacks sufficient transparency regarding its estimated value and fails to transfer adequate economic risk to the concessionaire. Additionally, the 35-year duration may violate EU regulations. The Hungarian government has two months to respond to these allegations, or the case may be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union.