The EU machinery is once again under strain. Brussels insists on accelerating Ukraine’s accession to the European Union despite Hungary’s outright opposition and at the cost of bypassing its own rules.
The idea, already floated in several ministerial meetings, would allow a weighted majority of countries to open negotiation chapters without requiring all 27 votes. Unanimity would remain only at the beginning and end of the process, but disappear from the intermediate stages, which Hungary now blocks. Jessica Rosencrantz, Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs, put it bluntly: “We need a much cleaner process, with fewer possibilities for a veto. We can’t just look the other way.” In other words: where there’s a rule, there’s a workaround.
Germany, Italy, Austria, and Slovenia have joined this pressure, warning that the Union’s “credibility” is on the line if no progress is made. Lithuania, a traditional champion of enlargement, has also argued for introducing “flexibilities” in the process. The deeper issue, however, is clear: this is a rehearsal for altering the EU’s institutional logic and reducing member states’ capacity of veto, especially on sensitive matters such as sanctions or foreign policy.
The legitimacy problem
Paradoxically, any change to the accession rules itself requires unanimity. Hungary has already signaled it will not accept such an alteration, calling it “legally and politically impossible.” For Hungary’s EU minister, János Bóka, the attempt to sideline Budapest is an open violation of the treaties.
Though critical of Orbán, Luxembourg admits that “this won’t fly now,” according to Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. Yet, in parallel, European institutions are already exploring informal formulas, applying financial and political pressure mechanisms that cast doubt on the democratic legitimacy of the process.
Moldova’s candidacy, advancing with Ukraine’s, illustrates these tensions. This week, Brussels unveiled a €1.8 billion growth plan to shore up Chișinău’s pro-European government ahead of crucial elections. But the idea of moving forward with Moldova alone was abandoned after Kyiv protested, unwilling to be dropped from the fast track.
Money for Ukraine, cuts for Europe
The financial backdrop to the whole affair adds fuel to the fire. The Commission has proposed allocating an additional €50 billion to Ukraine between 2024 and 2027 within the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). This money does not come from new sources, but from reprogramming existing funds—at the expense of cohesion policy and the Common Agricultural Policy.
The draft MFF for 2028–2034 confirms this trend: fewer resources for disadvantaged regions, agriculture, and rural development, and more for centralized Brussels funds distributed according to opaque criteria. In addition, emergency instruments are being strengthened, enabling the Commission to move billions without Council oversight, weakening transparency and institutional balance.
For countries such as Hungary, Poland, Portugal, or southern Italy—all primary cohesion beneficiaries—this redesign is a double blow: support is cut while they are asked to accept further transfers of sovereignty. It is no coincidence that criticism is concentrated in these capitals.
The European institutions know that enlargement will remain stuck without a change in Budapest. That is why some officials pin their hopes on next year’s Hungarian elections, which could alter the balance of power. And it seems they are doing everything possible to make that happen. Until then, pressure will continue through indirect measures: freezing of funds, political isolation, or regulatory reforms bordering on legal overreach.
The debate is not just about Ukraine. It is about deciding whether the Union will remain a community of sovereign states where every vote counts or evolve into an increasingly centralized structure where shifting majorities impose their will on the rest. Draghi said it clearly: the next step must be the constitution of the European Union as a single entity.
For now, Brussels has made its choice.
