By Anne Rovan
Published 2 hours ago, updated 56 minutes ago
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on November 18, 2023 in Budapest during the congress of his Fidesz party. ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP
In a new letter, the Hungarian prime minister reiterates that no “important decision” regarding Ukraine can be made next week.
Correspondent in Brussels
No to support of 50 billion euros for Ukraine. No to the start of EU accession negotiations for this country. Ten days before the last European summit in 2023, Viktor Orban gets to the point. In a letter addressed this Monday to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the Hungarian Prime Minister reiterates that for him there is no question of allowing the Twenty-Seven to move forward on the Ukraine issue.
As in his last letter sent in mid-November, the Hungarian leader called for “a strategic discussion on the general approach and policy towards Ukraine.” “I still believe,” he emphasizes, “that the European Council (namely the Twenty-Seven, editor’s note) is not in a position to take important decisions if no consensus is found on our future strategy.”
Viktor Orban also criticizes the Commission’s proposal to revise the European budget for 2021-2027, which in particular provides for a financial framework of 50 billion euros for Ukraine. He considers this proposal “insignificant, unbalanced and unrealistic” and calls on the EU institution to review its copy taking into account “the political and economic realities in the Member States”.
The threat of the veto
Determined to persuade Charles Michel to review the summit’s agenda and ambitions, the Hungarian leader is deliberately threatening to veto all those issues that require unanimity. “I respectfully ask you not to invite the European Council to take a decision on these issues in December, as the apparent lack of consensus would lead to failure,” he warned.
Twenty-Sevens may find it difficult to convince their counterparts. Even the prospect expressed by EU officials in recent days that the Commission would soon release some of the European funds promised to Hungary has not had the desired effect. However, it is 10 billion euros. Which is no small feat for a country like Hungary. “Orban has always been very transactional. Money may no longer be his only concern,” analyzes a diplomat. In this context, scenarios surrounding the summit planned for December 14th and 15th are increasing. Some estimate the meeting could last until Saturday or even Sunday. Others, on the contrary, believe that it could come to an end.
The lack of an agreement at 27 on support for Ukraine and on starting accession negotiations – under certain conditions – would be a failure for the EU, which has promised its support for this country “as long as it will be necessary” and would then vis-à-vis Russia seem very inconsistent. This would further worry Kiev while the $61 billion in American aid promised by the White House is still blocked in Congress.
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