(Bloomberg) -- A Hungarian judge who has been the target of Prime Minister Viktor Orban for opposing his influence over the court system said the government has delivered on a promise to bolster judicial independence.

The remarks by Tamas Matusik, president of the National Judicial Council, signal progress as the European Union nears an assessment on whether Hungary has satisfied requirements on overhauling its judiciary. The panel led by Matusik, composed of judges that have clashed with Orban’s appointees, has come out stronger following a flurry of legislative changes, the judge said.

“There is no longer such a war-like situation” with the broader judiciary executive, Matusik said in an interview in Budapest. The body’s spokesman, Janos Abert, who is also a judge, called the legislation a “real step forward” — “we got real powers that we can exercise,” he said. 

The EU’s executive will soon have to decide whether Hungary has met conditions related to court system, a decision that could trigger the release of some €13 billion ($14.2 billion) in funding. European leaders are also bracing for Orban to throw their December meeting into disarray as he opposes financial aid to Ukraine and threatens to block accession talks with Kyiv and a mid-term review of the EU budget.

The two judges cautioned that their endorsement of the judicial overhaul isn’t tantamount to saying Hungary is meeting criteria to release EU funds, a matter that’s between the European Commission and Budapest. 

For Orban, tapping the court-related financing would be a major win after the EU last year suspended access to more than $30 billion in grants and loans over rule-of-law concerns and graft. For the EU, releasing the funds now could weaken its leverage over the Hungarian leader at a crucial moment. 

European Council President Charles Michel met Orban in Budapest on Monday to discuss the issues. The visit comes soon after Hungary’s government launched an anti-EU billboard campaign and introduced “sovereignty protection” legislation to target alleged foreign influence, all signs that the premier is feeling emboldened. 

Critics ranging from civil society groups to independent media have said the crackdown may have a chilling effect on their work.

“We go on the attack, they play defense,” Orban said in a Facebook post Sunday, vowing a “full-court press” ahead of EU and Hungarian municipal elections in the spring. 

But even as the five-term premier lashes out at the bloc, an agreement to release suspended financing may be nearing. The Commission is currently in talks with Hungary to iron out final details, with a decision on the judiciary-related milestones expected before the end of the year. 

Only a “few points” remain open, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders told European lawmakers on Nov. 21.

The EU reached a preliminary agreement with Hungary earlier this year over judiciary reforms, setting out milestones that Orban’s government must achieve to access funds. Unlike benchmarks that include LGBTQ rights, academic freedom or asylum, court-related changes only need approval by the European Commission. 

The National Judiciary Council under Matusik is at the heart of the overhaul. The panel aims to have powers to resist attempts to undermine court independence, such as the forced early retirements of judges that took place after Orban returned to power in 2010. The panel’s objections were also ignored in the appointment of the Supreme Court’s chief justice three years ago. 

Legislative changes this year include granting the council binding opinions in some cases, such as the election of the Supreme Court president, and a case-allocation system designed to limit political influence. Obstacles for judges to refer questions to the European Court of Justice were also removed.

“The status of the National Judiciary Council and its supervisory role have strengthened,” Abert said. 

--With assistance from Jorge Valero and Stephanie Bodoni.

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