In this episode, we talk with Balázs Váradi, an economist and cofounder at the Budapest Institute for Policy Analysis and we discuss the (obscure) funding mechanisms of the European Union and their use and abuse. While corruption has always been an issue with cohesion funds, Brexit and the looming reform of the union could fundamentally change these mechanisms in the long term.
History minute: Backwardness and its historical context
Resources:
The impact of cohesion policy on corruption and political favoritism, Budapest Institute, Anita Győrfi, Tamás Molnár, Petra Reszkető, Balázs Váradi, 31 August, 2016
EU funds in Central and Eastern Europe: Progress Report 2007–2015, KPMG, 2016
Overview of funding programs, European Commission
Tying EU funds to politics could be double-edged, Eszter Zalan, EUObserver, 24 October 2017