The Hungarian prime minister was in Paris on December 7th to meet Emmanuel Macron ahead of the European Summit on December 14th and 15th, which is due to decide on new EU support for Ukraine.
Viktor Orbán called for the postponement of two measures concerning Ukraine: new financial support to the tune of €50 billion and the opening of negotiations for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Unanimity of the 27 Member States is required on both these points, allowing Hungary to block the measures. In a letter sent on Monday to Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, Viktor Orbán again asked that the body not take a decision on these two issues at the next summit “as the obvious lack of consensus would inevitably lead to failure.”
For the first time since 2015, the head of the Hungarian government has given a long exclusive interview to the French press, to the weekly Le Point, in which he explains his position. On Ukraine, Orbán refutes the idea of a Hungarian ‘veto,’ but considers that his country cannot take part in what he considers to be a bad decision, namely Ukraine’s entry into the EU. In his view, Ukraine is a long way from being ready to join, not least because of its high level of corruption. However, he reiterated his formal support for the Ukrainian cause, saying that this support would take “other forms” than membership.
President Macron received Viktor Orbán for a private dinner at the Élysée Palace. The previous meeting between the two men took place in March and ended on rather cordial terms. Very little information has leaked out about the meeting this time. According to Le Point, Orbán tried to convince Macron of the relevance of establishing a strategic partnership with Ukraine rather than joining the European Union, without success. According to Euronews, the promise to release some of the European funds still pending for Hungary would not be enough to make Orbán bend.
Despite the differences, Rajmund Kiss, a lecturer in international relations at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium, is confident that France and Hungary will be able to find common ground in the coming months during the Hungarian Presidency of the EU.
Viktor Orbán had a similar discussion by telephone with the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The Hungarian prime minister also in that conversation expressed his scepticism about EU accession for Ukraine.
