The Prime Minister of Hungary Victor Orban is the only leader on the European Council, who opposes the opening of the accession negotiations with Ukraine, said the ex-Premier of Romania Dacian Cioloș. According to him, the Hungarian official blackmails the EU in order to obtain the unlocking of the European funds that were earlier frozen for nonobservance of the rule of law. A number of European leaders are having talks with Victor Orban for persuading him to open the accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, IPN reports.
The former Romanian Premier, who is the leader of the Renew Europe group of the European Parliament, said that during the European Council’s meeting later this week, the Hungarian Premier can use his veto to block the opening of the accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Victor Orban hopes to get EU funds for his country for his vote on the European Council.
“Since the start, the approach to this issue has been consensual, except for the Prime Minister of Hungary Victor Orban, who played a separate game and who tries to negotiate particular internal advantages. It could also be about the privileged ties of Victor Orban with Moscow. Particular funds intended for Hungary were blocked because this country does not respect the conditions concerning the rule of law and justice and Victor Orban therefore endeavors by any means to obtain some money, some benefits that he cannot get from the European Commission because the internal rules are not obeyed. He now makes use of Ukraine. He has some arguments about problems related to corruption in Ukraine, but namely by opening accession negotiations we can have more instruments to push for reforms in Ukraine,” Dacian Cioloș stated in the program “At 360 Degrees” on Radio Moldova.
He noted that political talks are held with the Hungarian leader before the European Council’s meeting to persuade him not to block the opening of the accession negotiations. If the accession negotiations are opened, the reforms in Ukraine and Moldova could be accelerated.
“Currently, only Victor Orban opposes in the European Council. Pressure is being exerted on him. You saw that in the conclusions of the European Council, the text is for now favorable to opening the accession negotiations. A number of European leaders continue exerting pressure on Victor Orban so as to make him return to a normal and natural approach and to abandon this veto and blackmail to which he resorts. The opening of the accession negotiations is the best way to more intensely support reforms both in Moldova and in Ukraine,” said the leader of Renew Europe in the European Parliament.
The decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova is expected to be taken in the European Council’s meeting of December 14-15 in Brussels. The decisions on the European Council are taken by a unanimous vote.
