Some EU lawmakers oppose release of funds to Hungary's Orban

FILE PHOTO: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends the inauguration of Mindszentyneum during the celebrations of the 66th anniversary of the Hungarian Uprising of 1956, in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary, October 23, 2022. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Some European Union lawmakers warned the bloc's executive Commission against unlocking billions of euros in funds for Hungary, saying Prime Minister Viktor Orban was trampling on democratic norms.

The Brussels-based European Commission is expected next week to endorse giving to Hungary funds worth as much as a tenth of the country's estimated 2022 GDP after Budapest moves to improve anti-graft safeguards and the independence of its judiciary.