European money is needed if Hungary is to emerge from its cost-of-living crisis, Gergely Karácsony, the mayor of Budapest, said on Friday. But the government must comply with the rule of law and enforce strict anti-corruption measures to achieve this, he added. Further, it would be worthwhile for the European Union to boost the role of local governments, Karácsony said on Facebook. At the initiative of the European Commission and the ambassadors and representatives of 17 countries, EU funding was the subject of discussions in City Hall on Thursday, the mayor noted. “Given rampant inflation and skyrocketing energy prices, the majority of Hungarian people, businesses and municipalities are in severe financial straits.” The country needs EU funds urgently, he added. The European Council will make the final decision on funding, he noted. Thursday’s meeting of ambassadors was important, he added, because diplomats gained first-hand knowledge of the rule-of-law situation in Hungary as well as the straitened circumstances of local councils.