Hungary's next PM says frozen EU funds will be paid out soon

Hungary's next PM says frozen EU funds will be paid out soon8 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GooglePaul KirbyEurope digital editorReutersPéter Magyar has not yet taken office but is in a rush to release the EU's frozen fundsHungary's Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar has met EU leaders in Brussels, for the first time since his Tisza party won a landslide election on 12 April, sweeping away 16 years of rule by Viktor Orbán.After talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which he called "extremely constructive and successful", Magyar said that "in one sentence, EU resources will soon arrive in Hungary".Magyar has vowed to unlock billions of euros of EU funds for Hungary that have been frozen because of democratic backsliding and corruption allegations under Orbán's Fidesz-led government.Orbán, who ran a largely anti-EU election campaign, had accused his rival of being a puppet of Brussels.After his talks, Magyar sought to assure Hungarians that the EU did not support conditions that would be contrary to their country's interests. The unblocked billions would help revive Hungary's ailing economy, he added. Hungary's economy has shown minimal growth for the past three years..The conditions were simple, said party colleague Márton Hajdu: there should be no corruption, and the government should not interfere with the functioning of the courts. However, Magyar is in a hurry and his new government will have its work cut out to meet those conditions in a short space of time.Von der Leyen said she had had a "very good exchange" with Hungary's next prime minister, adding that the EU's executive Commission would "support your work to address these issues and realign with shared European values".Péter Magyar, 45, is not due to be sworn in until 9 May, but he has promised to hit the ground running. Two days after his election victory he was already on the phone to vo...