国际英语新闻:EU Presses Hungary to Make Further Spending Cuts
The European Union is heightening its pressure on Hungary for reforms, saying that it has failed to effectively control its budget deficit and that its new constitution may be unlawful.
EU economy minister Olli Rehn said Wednesday that the Budapest government has failed to permanently keep its deficit spending below the EU-mandated level of 3 percent of the country's economic output.
"It is on an unsustainable path and will reach about 3 percent next year and thus again breach the reference value of the treaty. This is why we have concluded that Hungary has not taken effective action in response to the council recommendations," said Rehn.

Rehn said the EU could withhold development funds for Hungary if it does not curtail its spending.
Meanwhile, the EU also said it is nearing completion of a review to determine whether Hungary's new constitution violates EU standards by curtailing the independence of the country's judges, the central bank and its data protection agency. Some critics say the constitutional changes pushed through by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's parliamentary majority in December could return the one-time Soviet-bloc country to an authoritarian state.
Hungary is seeking a bailout of up to $25 billion from the EU and International Monetary Union, but talks were suspended over the assistance after the central bank provisions were approved.
Meanwhile, even Germany, Europe's economic powerhouse, said it is not immune from the effects of the continent's slowing economy and the effects of the two-year governmental debt crisis. Germany said Wednesday its economy shrunk by a quarter of a percentage point in the last three months of 2011.
相关文章
- 欧美文化:Sri Lankan military authorized to maintain law, order amid unrest
- 欧美文化:Russian FM visits Algeria to mark 60th anniversary of ties
- 欧美文化:Turkey, Kazakhstan aim to reach 10 bln USD in bilateral trade: president
- 欧美文化:Serbia, China commemorate journalists killed in NATO bombing 23 years ago
- 欧美文化:UN chief calls for end to "cycle of death, destruction" in Ukraine
- 欧美文化:Nearly 15 mln deaths directly or indirectly linked to COVID-19: WHO
- 欧美文化:Hungary "can't support" EU's new sanctions against Russia in current form:
- 欧美文化:Killings in U.S. Los Angeles on pace to top last year's high: media
- 欧美文化:South Sudan ceasefire may unravel due to hostilities: monitors
- 欧美文化:Zambia launches mechanism to accelerate private sector development