Innsbruck (OTS) – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán regularly sleds with the EU. This became clear once again at the last EU summit. This is not just about Ukrainian politics.
Much sooner than the boldest optimists expected, the EU summit late last week gave the green light for the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine. A step that has long been promised to Kiev in meaningful words – knowing full well that this declaration represents little more than a symbolic act. Level effort awaits; accession talks will still require a lot of time and political creativity.
In any case, EU leaders and heads of state and government of EU states spoke of a historic moment on the first day of the summit. But this success story has a catch. Right-liberal Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is doing everything he can to torpedo Ukraine's prospects in the EU. Nothing changed at the summit. And the start of accession negotiations must be decided unanimously by all countries. Only a procedural trick – Orbán, following German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's suggestion, simply walked out of the room during the decisive vote – was able to prevent a colossal failure of the summit. A viable deal with potential customers looks different.
Orbán knows his power. And the EU is practicing doing everything it can to somehow get the stubborn Hungarian prime minister to give in—even with the help of a bathroom break—so he doesn't have to vote.
Things become more problematic when it comes to the EU's fundamental values. Of course, by pure chance, the European Commission released ten of the total €31 billion in frozen funding for Hungary on the eve of the summit. These funds were withheld due to flagrant violations of the rule of law. The European Commission now argued that Budapest had introduced the necessary reforms. On the other hand, European parliamentarians spoke of a “kneeling” to Orbán, and there was also talk of bribes for a corrupt regime.
And at the summit, Orbán demonstrated once again that he knows how to blackmail the EU. He blocked the planned €50 billion aid package for Ukraine. Hungary will only say yes here if all funding for Hungary blocked by the EU is paid off.
Orbán knows how to fool the EU. You won't be able to overcome Orbán's stumble with any maneuver. You shouldn't lie to your own pocket. E: Sometimes we get the feeling that some people in the EU are happy to let Orbán do what he wants.
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