Hungarian PM meets EC President Barroso

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held a short meeting with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso in Brussels on Tuesday. Orbán says a breakthrough is close in disputed with the EU but analysts are skeptical. The Commission is scheduled to make a decision on Wednesday.

The obstacles that have prevented Hungary from starting talks with the IMF on a financial assistance program have been brought down; we are close to a breakthrough, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán comment in Brussels on Tuesday after a half-an-hour meeting with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.

Presumably, the issues on the agenda were the infringement cases against Hungary the European Commission is to decide on this Wednesday. These issues concern the independence of the Hungarian central bank, that of the Hungarian judiciary system and the case of the ombudsman in charge of data protection.

Orbán reportedly spoke optimistically about the meeting, saying they agreed with President Barroso that now Budapest and Brussels have more disputes sorted out than unresolved. However, analysts remind that the Hungarian government is defiant in cancelling the most important measures that the European Commission and other EU authorities object to as they say they run against European norms.