EU seeks two-month delay in talks on Hungary recovery plan -PM

FILE PHOTO: Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban addresses the media as he arrives on the first day of the European Union summit at The European Council Building in Brussels, Belgium June 24, 2021. John Thys/Pool via REUTERS

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - The European Union is seeking a two-month delay in talks on Hungary's pandemic recovery plan, with funding likely to be delayed over contested issues as part of an "ideological war" with Brussels, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.

A European Commission spokesperson said on Thursday that Hungary's recovery plan, which would see it get 7.2 billion euros ($8.47 billion) in grants from the EU, was still under evaluation and it was unclear what the next steps in the process were.