Motorway construction suspended in Hungary

Hungarian government ministers have ordered an immediate halt to construction of the section of the M4 motorway between Abony and Fegyvernek in Eastern Hungary as they claim the European Commission had raised concerns over suspected cartel activity.

The Hungarian news portal index.hu has learned that the European Commission refused to accept the HUF 110 billion (over EUR million 360) cost (from EU funding) for the project to build a 30-kilometer section. The European Commission believes the Hungarian government will not attempt to submit the project again .

The Hungarian government  officials say the cabinet does not agree with the Commission’s suspicion, and it does not intend to judge anybody until wrongdoing is proven, but since the project is publicly-funded it will launch a full-scale inquiry into the allegations.

According to the government, the whole process will be examined: the call for applications; the successful and unsuccessful applications; and the difference between predicted and actual construction cost summaries.