In a move that has been described as “booby-trapping” by an EU diplomat, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has escalated tensions with the European Union by claiming that Ukraine is “light years away” from joining the EU.
The Hungarian Prime Minister’s remarks, made at the biannual congress of his nationalist Fidesz party, underscore Hungary’s intention to resist talks scheduled for mid-December on whether to formally invite Ukraine to start membership negotiations.
Orban, reelected as the president of Fidesz for the 11th consecutive time, stressed that standing in the way of Ukraine’s EU accession would be a top priority for his government in the coming months.
The admission of a new member into the EU requires unanimous approval from all existing member countries, granting Orban a powerful veto.
Some countries are already talking about ways to circumvent Hungary in the event of a veto, including through bilateral deals for military aid.
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However, such moves could potentially undermine EU unity, warned an EU diplomat.
Critics speculate that Hungary’s resistance may be a strategic move to leverage concessions, particularly regarding billions in funding that Brussels has withheld over concerns about Hungary’s alleged failure to uphold rule-of-law and human rights standards.
Hungarian MEPs have accused the EU of attempting to “blackmail” Budapest by withholding funds. Balázs Hidvéghi, a Fidesz MEP, said: “The objective never was to reach an agreement; this is pure blackmail.”
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MEP Tamás Deutsch stressed that Hungary “won’t dance” to Brussels’ tune and will continue to protect its sovereignty.
Orban has also threatened to block an EU plan to provide a substantial four-year, €50 billion aid package to Ukraine. His criticism centres on what he perceives as the violation of the rights of ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine to study in their own language.
In September, Orban declared before the Hungarian parliament that his government would “not support Ukraine on any international issue” until the language rights of the minority are restored.
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