JOHN THYS / AFP
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban outlined his conditions for providing European aid to Ukraine to European media in Brussels here on December 14.
EUROPE – He made good on his threat. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has vetoed new financial aid from the European Union to Ukraine. A few hours after he left the hall during the vote on Kiev's EU accession negotiations (and then opened them), he rejected the EU's release of an additional 50 billion euros.
European leaders will meet in January to reach another agreement. Until then, they can take a close look at the condition set by the Hungarian head of state to change their mind: the release of all European funds intended for his country.
“I have always said that if we were to proceed with a change in the EU budget (…), Hungary would take the opportunity to clearly demand what it deserves. Not half, not a quarter, but everything,” explained Viktor Orban on Hungarian state radio this Friday, December 15th. In fact, the European Union is blocking the payment of part of these amounts because Budapest does not respect the rule of law and certain fundamental rights.
10 billion unlocked, 21 still frozen
On Tuesday, a few hours before the European summit, the European Commission made its first gesture towards Hungary: the release of 10 billion euros. The decision, which was heavily criticized in the European Parliament (where the main political groups regret that we are giving in to Hungarian “blackmail”), was justified by a reform of the Hungarian justice system passed earlier this week. Viktor Orban's government is committed to improving the independence of the judiciary, but the progress is not seen as sufficient by the leader's opponents, who are close to Vladimir Putin.
In addition, 21 billion euros remain blocked as part of several proceedings. The European Commission remains particularly concerned about anti-LGBT law, attacks on academic freedom and the right to asylum, public procurement conditions and conflicts of interest.
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