Budapest blocked a letter to the European Council and the European Commission.
Hungary has suspended the progress of Ukraine’s and Moldova’s applications for membership in the European Union, blocking an important procedural step in the negotiation process. This was reported by Zn,ua, two EU diplomats reported, writes Politico. The PromPolitInform portal informs.
Kyiv and Chisinau reached an important milestone on the path to EU membership on June 15, when EU member states unanimously approved the opening of the first negotiation cluster for both states.
This decision was blocked for years by former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who opposed Ukraine’s accession to the EU. Since Ukraine and Moldova’s applications are politically linked, progress for one country was impossible without the other.
After the opening of the first negotiation cluster, both countries had hoped to move forward quickly. In particular, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Taras Kachka previously told POLITICO that Kyiv planned to open all six negotiation clusters by mid-July.
But that timetable is now under threat.
According to diplomats, on Tuesday, Hungary opposed sending a letter on behalf of all 27 EU countries to the European Council and the European Commission, which would have set out the common position of member states on further advancing the negotiations.
Such a decision requires unanimous support from all EU countries. Hungary was the only country that opposed it. The issue is scheduled to be reconsidered next week.
Hungary’s permanent mission to the EU did not respond to a request for comment.
The move is in line with the cautious stance of current Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.
While the Magyar government has not objected to opening the first negotiating cluster for Ukraine, Budapest has insisted on removing the phrase “as soon as possible” regarding Ukrainian membership from the joint conclusions of the EU summit, one of the diplomats said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because of the closed nature of the EU’s negotiation procedures.
During a press conference after a European Council meeting last week, Péter Magyar reiterated his position.
“There are six clusters in total. We do not think it is a good idea to open them all at once. Firstly, the ink on the documents on the first cluster is not even dry yet. Secondly, it would send the wrong signal to the Western Balkan countries – Serbia, Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia, which have been working for years to join the European Union,” he said.
