The European Union executive on Sunday recommended that the bloc suspend about 7.5 billion euros in funding for Hungary because of concerns about a backlash against democracy and possible misuse of EU money, AP reported.

EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that despite measures proposed by Hungary to address shortcomings, the European Commission recommends suspending about 7.5 billion euros of funds.

This money will come from cohesion funds provided to Hungary. This cash envelope, one of the bloc's biggest chunks of the budget, helps countries bring their economies and infrastructure in line with EU standards.

Hahn said Hungary has until Nov. 19 to answer questions. Any action to suspend funding must be approved by the 27 EU member states, and that requires a "qualified majority," which is 55 percent of the 27 members, representing at least 65 percent of the entire EU population.

The European Commission has accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban of dismantling democratic institutions, seizing control of the media, and infringing on minority rights for nearly a decade. Orban, who has been in power since 2010, denies the charges.

Speaking after a meeting of EU commissioners in Brussels, who unanimously approved the move, Hahn welcomed Hungary's proposal to solve the problem, saying that the measures it proposed to remedy the situation were going "in the right direction."

He said the measures could alleviate some of the commission's fears if they were followed up and acted upon appropriately. But he said that the risk to the budget remains at this stage, so we cannot conclude that the EU budget is sufficiently protected.

Hungarian media reported that Orban's nationalist government intends to announce the new legislation as early as Monday. Last week, EU lawmakers expressed concern that it might just be a ploy to buy time.

In a resolution passed Thursday, lawmakers said Hungary's nationalist government is deliberately trying to undermine the bloc's democratic values.