In Hungary, "spent" European one and a half million dollars, building a road interchange near a non-existent railway
In the Hungarian city of Zalaegerszeg, there is a new circular road interchange worth approximately $1.5 million, built with European Union funds. It was supposed to become part of a large logistics project — to serve a future railway route and container terminal, but in reality, it stands unused, writes CNN.
Photo: Mark Esplin / CNN
It was planned that this infrastructure would help transport goods faster from the Adriatic Sea through western Hungary to other Central European countries. However, the project turned out to be unfinished: the railway itself, for which the interchange was built, still does not exist.
As a result, the facility stands virtually in the middle of a field and is unused. According to the latest information, the construction of the railway has not even started yet and may be delayed until 2029.
This story has become an example of Hungary's highly criticized economic policy. The opposition and experts argue that projects funded by European money are often implemented in the country without proper planning or with questionable benefit. Such facilities are called "white elephants" — expensive, but practically useless.
According to critics, there are many similar cases in Hungary: from unfinished facilities to projects that do not fulfill their function. A significant portion of the funding came from the European Union, which supports less developed member states to reduce the economic gap with the West. Viktor Orbán, however, was known for being adept at obtaining European money for the country and spending it, while at the same time not following European policy on many fundamental issues.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the European Union has recently started withholding part of its financial aid to Hungary due to concerns about the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, and possible corruption schemes. This involves tens of billions of euros that have not yet reached the country.
Against this backdrop, the issue of using European funds has become an important internal political problem, especially ahead of elections. The opposition accuses the authorities of inefficient management and use of budget funds, while the government denies all accusations and claims that the projects have a long-term perspective.
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