Brussels appears increasingly prepared to bypass the Hungarian veto on Ukraine’s EU accession, regardless of the implications of this for the supposed foundations of the bloc.
Guillaume Mercier, the Commission’s enlargement spokesman, said on Monday:
The possibility of empowering the [European] Council to decide [on opening entry negotiations] by qualified majority could be explored for certain interim steps in the enlargement process.
—a (perhaps purposefully) convoluted way of saying that plans to bypass the veto are welcomed.
That’s despite warnings that sidelining Budapest in this manner would be a blatant violation of the treaties, and so would effectively undermine the EU as a whole.
Mercier’s comments came after European Council president António Costa indicated that he was prepared to move Ukraine’s application to join the bloc forward despite the outright rejection of an actual member. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys also said last week that a so-called “Plan B” is needed to allow Brussels to overrule Hungary’s veto.
Officials critical of Hungary’s veto say Ukraine meets the accession criteria. Those more wary of the move insist Ukraine does not meet some of the most important conditions, such as respecting fundamental human rights.
Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó said on Friday that Kyiv “can’t be serious” in asking Budapest to accept Ukraine’s accession to the EU, adding that “for 10 years Ukraine has carried out an anti-Hungarian policy.”
The rights of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia were taken away, a Hungarian man was beaten to death during forced conscription, the oil pipeline essential for Hungary’s secure energy supply was attacked, and now Hungarian military leaders are banned from entering Ukraine.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
