EU governments push back at ‘unreasonable’ Hungarian demands
With only days to go until Thursday’s summit of EU leaders, it is still unclear whether 26 heads of state and government can convince Hungary’s Viktor Orbán to agree to long-term financial aid for Ukraine.
A senior European diplomat told the Guardian this morning that member states are united when it comes to opposing Budapest’s demands.
I hope so, even though as usual he will try to extract as many concessions as possible.
This time, however, I hope that there is little for him to gain – Member States are quite united against unreasonable four demands of Hungary – and at the same time there are messages being passed about possible consequences for Hungary’s continued obstructive behaviour.
A senior European official, meanwhile, said the summit can go several ways.
Hard to say, I think all options are open.
Key events
‘Blackmail should never be rewarded,’ MEP says
The centre-right European People’s party group spokesman on budgets, the Portuguese MEP José Manuel Fernandes, said today that leaders should not give in to “blackmail” from Hungary’s leadership.
In a statement, he said:
It is not acceptable for one EU prime minister, Viktor Orbán, to harm European citizens – the 450 million European citizens – with his blackmail and with his blockade tactics. This political blackmail should never be rewarded.
The MEP added:
Today’s challenges require EU solidarity, backed up with concrete actions and coordinated polices.
Nationalism is not a solution. ‘Proudly alone’ is not a solution and, therefore, we ask that the Council decides quickly on the revision of the EU’s long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
The EU budget currently lacks the financial resources needed to meet our objectives. It must be reinforced with enough resources to tackle pressing issues such as migration, for strategic investments, and to enhance the competitiveness of the Union. We also urgently need to confirm financial support for Ukraine in the form of the €50 billion Ukraine Facility.
‘Patience running thin’: EU governments grapple with Orbán’s positioning
European governments are losing their patience with Hungary ahead of this week’s summit.
A senior European official said that member states are hearing different things from Hungary’s negotiator, János Bóka, compared to what the country’s leader, Viktor Orbán, is communicating publicly and that there is a belief that the prime minister is seeking to keep his cards open ahead of talks in Brussels.
The official added:
This time patience is really running thin on Hungary.
This person also noted that they believe Orbán is interested in trying to get more of Hungary’s EU funding unfrozen – but that this would be politically a “killer” for the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, who is expected to seek a second term.
EU governments push back at ‘unreasonable’ Hungarian demands
With only days to go until Thursday’s summit of EU leaders, it is still unclear whether 26 heads of state and government can convince Hungary’s Viktor Orbán to agree to long-term financial aid for Ukraine.
A senior European diplomat told the Guardian this morning that member states are united when it comes to opposing Budapest’s demands.
I hope so, even though as usual he will try to extract as many concessions as possible.
This time, however, I hope that there is little for him to gain – Member States are quite united against unreasonable four demands of Hungary – and at the same time there are messages being passed about possible consequences for Hungary’s continued obstructive behaviour.
A senior European official, meanwhile, said the summit can go several ways.
Hard to say, I think all options are open.
Tensions deepen ahead of key EU summit
European capitals are on tenterhooks as leaders prepare to meet in Brussels later this week for a summit intended to seal a deal on long-term funding for Ukraine.
Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, blocked a proposed €50 billion EU package for Kyiv late last year, prompting leaders to schedule the February 1 gathering with the hope of reaching a compromise.
The package, a mix of grants and loans, would provide a lifeline for Ukraine’s economy.
But while Budapest insists that it has proposed a compromise, the sides have yet to come to an agreement. Hungary appears to want a deal that would allow it to block the flow of aid to Kyiv in the future.
Meanwhile, frustrations are growing with Hungary’s leadership – and not just because of the Ukrainian aid.
Budapest is continuing to delay Sweden’s Nato accession, as the Hungary parliament remains the only legislature within the defensive alliance that has yet to sign off on Swedish membership.
A meeting between Orbán and his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, could take place on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels this week.
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