The new Hungarian government, led by Péter Magyar, has privately indicated its willingness to lift its veto, which would allow Ukraine and Moldova to officially commence the first stage of EU accession negotiations on June 15th.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar / © Associated Press
Official negotiations regarding Ukraine’s and Moldova’s membership in the European Union might kick off in the coming days.
Politico reports that the new Hungarian government has signaled its readiness to abandon its long-standing opposition to Ukraine’s bid.
Budapest’s Shift in Stance and Unblocking the Process
During the tenure of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Budapest strongly opposed Ukraine’s accession. However, the country’s new leadership has privately expressed a willingness to withdraw its veto. This development became possible following a meeting between Ukrainian and Hungarian experts on Monday, which focused on the rights of the Hungarian minority residing in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side provided assurances regarding the resolution of most issues outlined in Orbán’s original 11-point plan. According to one diplomat, although not all demands may be met immediately, Budapest’s agreement does not hinge on the adoption of new legislation in Ukraine. Concurrently, a Hungarian official, speaking anonymously, noted that negotiations are ongoing and a final agreement has not yet been reached.
When Official Negotiations Are Expected to Start
The opening of the first negotiation cluster is a formal step on the path to membership, involving key stages:
-
It is anticipated that by the end of this week, EU ambassadors will finalize their position on opening the first cluster after Kyiv presents its plans for internal reforms and minority issue resolution.
-
The official opening of the first negotiation cluster for Kyiv and Chișinău is scheduled for an intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg on June 15th.
-
As Ukraine and Moldova submitted their applications simultaneously, Moldova’s progress towards the EU was contingent and could only advance in sync with Ukraine’s.
The process of opening clusters requires the unanimous approval of all 27 European Union member states, and any nation has the right to block the process at any stage. According to sources, negotiations on Ukraine’s membership accelerated after the new Hungarian Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, visited Brussels to discuss the unblocking of €16.4 billion in frozen EU funds for his country.
For context, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar expressed his readiness to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the parties agree on matters concerning the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia.
Comments Sort: New Old Popular Submit