The Spanish Prime Minister’s phone call with his Hungarian counterpart was one of several recent attempts to change Orbán’s mind on EU accession for Ukraine.
The Open Society Foundation is looking to guide the accession process for Ukraine and the Western Balkans, laying plans for Poland in particular as Warsaw grows in geopolitical importance.
European leaders are trying to match rhetoric with reality as many fear Ukraine would upturn established norms and may repeat the rule-of-law clashes seen with Poland and Hungary.
“Today, the EU needs the Balkans more than the other way around,” the Hungarian prime minister said during his trip to Serbia and Bosnia, signing strategic partnerships and advocating for the region’s rapid EU accession.
Only two out of seven criteria have been fulfilled for accession talks to begin. Corruption and the lack of fundamental minority rights remain among the biggest concerns of Brussels.
President Sandu will lobby for speeding up its EU accession process at the upcoming Chișinău Summit, even if it would normally take decades and the country is far from fulfilling the required criteria.
