HUNGARY Vladimir Putin has congratulated Hungary’s strongman | MINORITY REPORT

HUNGARY

Vladimir Putin has congratulated Hungary’s strongman leader, Viktor Orbán, on his decisive election victory, amid signs that European Union authorities will launch a sanctions process against Budapest that is intended to safeguard EU funds at risk from democratic-backsliding member states.

Two members of the European parliament said they expected the European Commission to launch the “rule of law conditionality mechanism” against Hungary, a legal process that could ultimately switch off billions in EU payments to Budapest.

EU countries that have government-controlled courts and captured state institutions can be deprived of EU funds, but the law has never been tested.