The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has canceled a high-level mission to Hungary, citing the government’s failure to act on longstanding antibribery recommendations, some of which have been in place for over a decade.
In a statement on Tuesday, the OECD announced this unprecedented decision, marking the first time a mission of this nature has been canceled. The mission, scheduled for earlier this week, was called off due to the Hungarian government’s inability to ensure the participation of key ministers and senior officials.
The OECD Working Group on Bribery, which planned the mission in December 2023, aimed to address Hungary’s slow progress in key areas, including recognizing foreign bribery risks, developing strategies to detect and investigate cases, and clarifying legal responsibilities for corporate involvement in bribery.
“The Working Group remains deeply concerned about Hungary’s lack of enforcement of foreign bribery laws,” the OECD said, noting that some of these recommendations have been outstanding for more than ten years.
In response, the OECD intends to implement new measures to push the Hungarian government to engage more seriously, including a draft plan to address these deficiencies.
The cancellation of the mission comes amid growing international criticism of Hungary’s handling of corruption, particularly in its political system. The European Union and the United States have raised concerns over Hungary’s weakening democracy and rule of law. The EU has withheld billions in funds to pressure Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government to address these issues.
Earlier this year, in March, protests erupted in Hungary following the release of a recording by former government insider turned critic Peter Magyar. The recording allegedly revealed corruption at the highest levels of government, leading to public calls for the resignation of Orban and his chief prosecutor.