Hungary’s anti-corruption body, tasked with stamping out fraud in the spending of billions of euros of European Union funds, has requested greater powers including for prosecutions, raids and sanctions, a document shows.
The Integrity Authority, created under EU pressure in late 2022, is independent of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government and led by a former partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers with two decades experience of forensic accounting and compliance.
But it says it lacks teeth to expose wrongdoing in the eastern European nation which has for years been at odds with the EU bloc over rule-of-law matters.
“This document offers a high-level description of essential powers necessary for the Authority to function effectively and fulfil its legal mandates,” the Authority said in a paper obtained by Reuters that was submitted to Hungary’s Justice Ministry and the European Commission.
Orban’s government has not commented since the body’s leader Ferenc Biro first voiced concerns in April.
The requests, in a four-page document dated March 1, include equipping the body with criminal prosecution powers and strong sanctions to ensure compliance with legislation.
International watchdogs say Orban, in power since 2010, has long channelled EU funds to businessmen close to his nationalist Fidesz party. The government denies such allegations, with Orban saying he is not involved in business matters and that Hungary has no more corruption problems than other EU nation
