EU must defend legal guarantees to involve local government in Recovery Facility says Hungarian MEP

Today (9 February), MEPs vote on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). Speaking at the debate, Hungarian MEP Katalin Cseh called on the EU to deliver on the legal guarantees to involve local government. 

“This parliament has fought for and delivered legal guarantees for the protection of our historic recovery fund so that taxpayer’s money does not get diverted by corruption so that this time Viktor Orbán’s son-in-law does not scoop up these funds,” said Cseh.

She said that the parliament had secured guarantees that member states must involve local authorities. However, we are now in February, and according to Cseh local mayors, opposition parties have not been consulted: “A colleague of mine is deputy mayor in charge of economic development for the third-largest city in Hungary, Szeged, he has not seen any meaningful documentation, let alone been consulted about the needs of his constituents. Mayors from across Hungary tell us the same. Budapest is in urgent need of funds for zero-emission transportation developments and there are recovery funds for that, but they are not being consulted. So how does this square with the legal obligation to involve local stakeholders?”

Executive Vice President for the Economy Valdis Dombrovskis also underlined how ownership lies “at the heart” of the Recovery and Resilience Facility: “This is why it is important to work closely with local or regional national authorities, social partners and relevant stakeholders at all stages of preparation and implementation.”

The RRF will make €672.5 billion (€312.5bn in grants and €360bn in loans) available to member states to support investments and reforms, in favour of the ecological and digital transition. The facility aims to help the EU to make a recovery from the pandemic while also addressing economic fallout.  

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