Viktor Orbán kept Hungary out of the EU’s fraud-fighting prosecutor for years. His successor just reversed that. The European Commission confirmed on 10 July that Hungary will become the 25th member state of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, a request made by Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government in May.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) investigates and prosecutes crimes against the EU budget, from fraud to the misuse of member states’ funds. The EU set it up in 2021 through so-called enhanced cooperation, a mechanism that lets a smaller group of member states integrate more closely on a specific policy. Hungary held out for years under former prime minister Viktor Orbán, who refused to join the scheme.
That changed after Mr Magyar’s Tisza party swept to power in April, ending Mr Orbán’s 16-year rule. Hungary formally asked to join the EPPO in May, and the Commission signed off on the move on 10 July.
What changes for Hungary
Hungary’s accession is not immediate. The Commission’s decision takes effect 20 days after publication in the Official Journal. Budapest must then put forward three candidates for the post of European Prosecutor for Hungary. The Council of the EU will appoint one of them, after considering the opinion of an independent panel.
Hungary also needs to nominate several European Delegated Prosecutors. They will handle individual cases on the ground. The EPPO will only start working in the country 20 days after the Council names its prosecutor.
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Once operational, its reach will stretch back in time. It will be able to investigate and prosecute EU-fund crimes committed in Hungary since 1 June 2021. That is when the office first began its work elsewhere in the EU.
Hungary’s move also has a wider legal effect. The EPPO now includes 25 of the EU’s 27 member states. Denmark and Ireland remain permanently excluded under their treaty opt-outs. As a result, the underlying regulation stops being an act of enhanced cooperation. It becomes part of the EU’s full legal acquis. Any country joining the bloc in future will have to sign up to the EPPO too.
Reactions from Brussels
Commission officials framed the decision as a milestone for the rule of law in Hungary, a country long criticised in Brussels for weak anti-corruption enforcement and disputes over EU funding. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the decision was “a welcome step in the fight against fraud and corruption”. “The people of Hungary will now have a safeguard in place to ensure EU funds work in their interest,” she said.
The accession follows a broader thaw in relations between Budapest and Brussels. In May, Ms von der Leyen said the EU would unlock €16.4bn in previously frozen funding for Hungary, after meeting Mr Magyar and citing progress on tackling corruption.
Hungary joining the EPPO is yet another fundamental step for rule of law in Hungary and for the fight against misuse of taxpayer’s money.
— Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy
Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said: “Hungary joining the EPPO is yet another fundamental step for rule of law in Hungary and for the fight against misuse of taxpayer’s money.” Michael McGrath is the commissioner for democracy, justice and the rule of law. He struck a similar tone. “Protecting our budget is not optional,” he said. “Every euro safeguarded is a euro that goes back to citizens.”
