Journey along the Danube On 1 and 2 December 2025, Commissioner Serafin traveled to Hungary and Slovakia for the 13th leg of the Tour d’Europe on the next Multiannual Financial Framework. These were the 22nd and 23rd EU Member States he has visited since the launch of the Tour in February. Page contents Page contents Hungary------------------ STOP 1: EU’s commitment to transparency and integrity (1 December) The Commissioner started his visit in Budapest with a keynote speech at the Hungarian Integrity Authority’s conference “Converging Roads of Integrity 2025”. The Authority is an autonomous body responsible for making sure that EU funds in Hungary are used in line with the rules and that taxpayers’ money is well spent. It plays a key role in addressing fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, and other irregularities, and its mandate covers all projects that have received EU support. As the European Commissioner for Anti-Fraud, Commissioner Serafin’s participation was particularly relevant. He highlighted the importance of integrity, transparency, and sound financial management in the use of EU funds. Following the conference, he had a bilateral meeting with Mr Ferenc Pál Biró, President of the Authority.In his speech, the Commissioner underlined the key importance of fighting corruption for maintaining trust in public institutions, the importance of free media and whistleblowers, and the need for robust anti-fraud systems to protect both the current and the future EU budget.Integritás Hatóság It is not only about common values and democracy. It is also about prosperity and economic progress. And it is about social justice — because every euro, every forint, every Polish złoty taken by corrupt individuals into their private pockets is a euro or forint or Polish złoty taken from someone else: from a teacher on a state salary, from a student at university, from a patient in a hospital, from a passenger on a train. Stolen public money that could and should have been used to improve public services and modernise infrastructure. Link to the full speech: Audiovisual Service - European Broadcasting Service STOP 2: Honouring a hero and the shared values that unite us (1 December) Statue of Józef Bem in Budapest© wallyg, 2022The Commissioner then paid tribute by laying flowers at the statue of Józef Bem, a Polish, Hungarian, and Turkish general and national hero who played a key role in the 1848-1849 Hungarian Revolution, fighting for independence and freedom. Bem is celebrated for his courage, commitment to civic responsibility, and solidarity. The statue is also a symbol of the long-standing Polish-Hungarian friendship. Piotr Serafin on X: "I paid tribute to General Józef Bem in Budapest - a hero who united Hungary and Poland in their fight for freedom. STOP 3: Shaping the future of the EU budget (1 December) While in Budapest, Commissioner Serafin also met Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka. They discussed key aspects of the MFF proposal, and Hungary’s perspectives and priorities related to the next EU’s long-term budget, such as Cohesion Policy, the Common Agriculture Policy, migration, enlargement, and the flexibility and simplification of the EU budget. Slovakia------------------ STOP 4: Consultations on the next MFF (2 December) The next day, Piotr Serafin traveled to Slovakia. In Bratislava, the Commissioner met with Prime Minister Robert Fico to discuss the Commission’s MFF proposal. The conversation centered around the political position of the country on the proposal, including the timeline, the allocation of EU funds in Slovakia the CAP and Cohesion Policy, and the European Competitiveness Fund, as well as the conditionality mechanism.Instagram Post STOP 5: Where Heritage Meets Environmental Responsibility (2 December) The Commissioner concluded his visit with a stop at the EU-funded project “Ekocentrum Čunovo” a renovated historic manor transformed into an environmental education and eco-tourism centre. Supported by five million euros from Cohesion policy, the project promotes biodiversity awareness, sustainable tourism, and community engagement in the Danube floodplain region. It illustrates key European Union priorities from the green transformation and climate adaptation to cohesion policy cross-border cooperation and cultural heritage protection.Together with Mr Juraj Droba, Chairman of the Bratislava self-governing Region, the Commissioner toured the centre and held a working lunch to discuss regional priorities and learn from local experience. Amongst other things, they discussed the proposal of putting in place National and Regional Partnership Plans in the next long-term EU budget.
On 1 and 2 December 2025, Commissioner Serafin traveled to Hungary and Slovakia for the 13th leg of the Tour d’Europe on the next Multiannual Financial Framework. These were the 22nd and 23rd EU Member States he has visited since the launch of the Tour in February.
The Commissioner started his visit in Budapest with a keynote speech at the Hungarian Integrity Authority’s conference “Converging Roads of Integrity 2025”. The Authority is an autonomous body responsible for making sure that EU funds in Hungary are used in line with the rules and that taxpayers’ money is well spent. It plays a key role in addressing fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, and other irregularities, and its mandate covers all projects that have received EU support. As the European Commissioner for Anti-Fraud, Commissioner Serafin’s participation was particularly relevant. He highlighted the importance of integrity, transparency, and sound financial management in the use of EU funds. Following the conference, he had a bilateral meeting with Mr Ferenc Pál Biró, President of the Authority.In his speech, the Commissioner underlined the key importance of fighting corruption for maintaining trust in public institutions, the importance of free media and whistleblowers, and the need for robust anti-fraud systems to protect both the current and the future EU budget.Integritás Hatóság
Statue of Józef Bem in Budapest© wallyg, 2022The Commissioner then paid tribute by laying flowers at the statue of Józef Bem, a Polish, Hungarian, and Turkish general and national hero who played a key role in the 1848-1849 Hungarian Revolution, fighting for independence and freedom. Bem is celebrated for his courage, commitment to civic responsibility, and solidarity. The statue is also a symbol of the long-standing Polish-Hungarian friendship.
While in Budapest, Commissioner Serafin also met Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka. They discussed key aspects of the MFF proposal, and Hungary’s perspectives and priorities related to the next EU’s long-term budget, such as Cohesion Policy, the Common Agriculture Policy, migration, enlargement, and the flexibility and simplification of the EU budget.
The next day, Piotr Serafin traveled to Slovakia. In Bratislava, the Commissioner met with Prime Minister Robert Fico to discuss the Commission’s MFF proposal. The conversation centered around the political position of the country on the proposal, including the timeline, the allocation of EU funds in Slovakia the CAP and Cohesion Policy, and the European Competitiveness Fund, as well as the conditionality mechanism.Instagram Post
The Commissioner concluded his visit with a stop at the EU-funded project “Ekocentrum Čunovo” a renovated historic manor transformed into an environmental education and eco-tourism centre. Supported by five million euros from Cohesion policy, the project promotes biodiversity awareness, sustainable tourism, and community engagement in the Danube floodplain region. It illustrates key European Union priorities from the green transformation and climate adaptation to cohesion policy cross-border cooperation and cultural heritage protection.Together with Mr Juraj Droba, Chairman of the Bratislava self-governing Region, the Commissioner toured the centre and held a working lunch to discuss regional priorities and learn from local experience. Amongst other things, they discussed the proposal of putting in place National and Regional Partnership Plans in the next long-term EU budget.
