Hungary and EU clash over €16.4 bn of recovery fund disbursement

Hungarian Finance Minister Kármán András announced that an agreement had been reached in Brussels to release roughly €16.4 billion of EU funds, comprising €10 billion from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (6.5 bn in grants and 3.5 bn in low‑interest loans), €4.2 bn from cohesion programmes and €2.2 bn for academic‑freedom projects. He described the deal as a historic victory and pledged to bring every cent home.

The European Commission, however, contradicted the claim, saying no final agreement on payments exists. Commission officials warned that Hungary must complete a lengthy list of reforms and submit a revised recovery plan by the end of August before any disbursement can be approved. The next steps involve EU finance ministers’ EcoFin council in July and a possible request for funds in September, with actual payments not expected before the final quarter of 2026.