The European Commission has officially granted approval for Hungary to join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which serves as the European Union’s primary investigative body for addressing fraud and corruption related to EU funds. This decision follows a shift in Hungarian leadership, as Prime Minister Péter Magyar secured a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections held this past April, successfully ending the 16-year tenure of Viktor Orbán.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a statement welcoming the development, describing it as a positive step in the ongoing effort to combat corruption and fraud. She emphasized that the move provides a necessary safeguard for Hungarian citizens to ensure that European Union funding is utilized in their best interest, concluding her statement with a formal welcome to the office.
The commission’s endorsement paves the way for Hungary to formally join as the 25th member of the EPPO later this year. To finalize the process, the country is required to establish the necessary institutional framework and nominate three eligible candidates from which a prosecutor will be appointed to work within Hungary. Currently, Ireland and Denmark remain the only EU nations outside the EPPO, as both maintain opt-outs regarding justice and home affairs cooperation.
