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.
-
‘The worry is far from fanciful’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How are Americans bracing for the end of SNAP?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Millions depend on supplemental federal food funds that are set to expire this month, as the government shutdown begins to be acutely felt
-
Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams
