Budapest, Hungary
Some 2,000 Hungarian farmers parked their tractors in the middle of downtown Budapest last week to protest delays in getting their E.U. subsidies. When Hungary and other Eastern European countries joined the union last year, they became eligible for agricultural stipends, which the E.U. gives out based on farm size. Most of the new member states have already paid their farmers. But Hungarian officials are taking longer to distribute the funds because they are double-checking the size of each farm against satellite photos. If the E.U. later rejects a subsidy claim, they note, the farmer has to pay back the subsidy with interest, which would bankrupt most Hungarian farmers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Buddhist monks’ US walk for peaceUnder the Radar Crowds have turned out on the roads from California to Washington and ‘millions are finding hope in their journey’
-
American universities are losing ground to their foreign counterpartsThe Explainer While Harvard is still near the top, other colleges have slipped
-
How to navigate dating apps to find ‘the one’The Week Recommends Put an end to endless swiping and make real romantic connections
