Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
by Evgenia Kondakova
[REGNUM] Almost none of the summits of EU leaders over the past year was complete without discussing the allocation of aid to Ukraine and the blocking of these initiatives by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban . The meeting in Brussels on October 26–27 was no exception. Moreover, this time he did not rebel alone, and the conflict between Budapest and the community reached a new level.
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On the first day of the summit, the leadership of the European Union and the heads of member states began discussing a pressing issue - financial. Back in the summer, the European Commission proposed increasing the EU budget for 2024–2027 by 66 billion euros to implement programs on migration, strengthening the competitiveness of the Union, and also to support Ukraine. Moreover, €50 billion of the total amount is provided for grants and loans. All this should be provided through additional contributions from countries.
But the national treasuries are already empty - either because of assistance to Kyiv, or because of the consequences of the sanctions imposed against the Russian Federation, primarily by forced purchases of more expensive energy resources instead of cheap Russian ones. This state of affairs automatically led to an increase in prices in related industries, so not everyone wanted to chip in to the pan-European moneybox. For example, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo called on the European Commission to find money for Ukraine itself, and not demand new contributions from member states.
On October 27, Orban, on the air of Kossuth radio, accused the European Commission of misleading everyone about the true scale of the proposed increase in the EU budget.
“We kept trying to persuade each other until late at night. This was the main topic. In fact, it turned out when we turned to the bureaucrats so that they could name the numbers, that we are talking not about 60-something billion, but about 100 billion. We returned this proposal (under which money from the increased EU budget would go to help Ukraine, distribution illegal migrants in EU countries, increasing salaries for European officials. - Ed.) so that the European Commission puts forward something more serious, but it was a big battle, especially on the issue of Ukraine ,” he said.
And Orban played one of the main roles in this battle. Together with Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico , who took the oath of office the day before the summit, they, according to diplomatic sources of Politico, blocked the allocation of an aid package to Ukraine worth the same €50 billion from the EU budget in the next four years. And since decisions of this kind are made on the basis of consensus, that is, the consent of absolutely everyone, the initiative was blocked. The head of the Hungarian government explained his position by the fact that EU support still does not work, and his Slovak colleague explained by corruption in Ukraine.
Orban also mentioned the misuse of money by Kiev. On his page on the social network, he wrote: “ Unfortunately, during the previous period it became clear that part of the money sent to Ukraine was sent not to the proper place, but to corruption channels. What is the guarantee that the same thing won’t happen with subsequent support?”
Moreover, he promised to continue to block projects to allocate additional funds to Ukraine until clear justifications are given, and not just “give more money,” as now. In general, the Hungarian Prime Minister proposes that the EU radically change its approach to the Ukrainian issue: first we need a concept and allocate money for it, and not just pour in billions while the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to fight.
But that's not all. Orban said out loud what other Western politicians would not dare say: victory for Ukraine on the battlefield is impossible.
“According to the plan, Ukraine was supposed to wage a defensive war, and we were supposed to provide it with money and military assistance. A few months ago the Ukrainian counter-offensive was announced, and if this goal had been realistic, if they had won on the front line, then they could have asked for money, but this strategy failed.
It's embarrassing to say, but it didn't work. It is clear that the Ukrainians will not win and the Russians will not fail at the front, and there is no doubt that the Russian president will not allow failure. In such a situation, it is necessary to stop, we need a “plan B” for Ukraine,” he said on Kossuth.
One against the European Union
Such statements and actions that run counter to the general European position naturally do not go unnoticed, and, as a result, writes the British newspaper The Guardian, Orban is more isolated than ever. In particular, due to ongoing contacts with Russia.
“Orban’s recent meeting with Putin in Beijing (at the Belt and Road summit on October 17 - Ed.) and the way the Hungarian Prime Minister compared the EU to the Soviet Union raise concerns about whether we will still be able to trust this country as our ally and partner ,” said a European diplomat who did not want to be named.
This is also felt in Budapest. A senior Hungarian official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, told the newspaper that there was great uncertainty about the future, but what was certain was a greater risk of isolation in the future.
Nevertheless, Orban is confident in his actions and has no intention of backing down.
“We have a very open policy, which differs from most European strategies: you have a military strategy, we have a peaceful one, we want to do everything to achieve peace. Therefore, we keep all channels of communication with Russia open, otherwise there will be no chance for peace. This is our strategy, we are proud of it. We are the only country that speaks out in favor of peace, which would be in the interests of everyone in Europe ,” he told reporters before the start of the summit, recalling that Ukraine is a common neighbor of the Russian Federation and Hungary, which is why dialogue is necessary.
At press conferences following the summit, participants argued that nothing terrible happened because of Orban’s negotiations with Putin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that EU leaders are free to choose with whom to meet, adding, however, that close coordination and transparency are important for Brussels if the European Union is mentioned during negotiations.
French President Emmanuel Macron did not “read morals” to Orban and condemn him, also noting that no one has the right to forbid him to meet with someone. However, he demanded coordination of positions, especially in the case of Russia, and then, one might say, even praised the Hungarian Prime Minister, saying that at a certain point maintaining contacts with Moscow could be useful.
In words it sounds beautiful, but rather it looks like a good game to create the appearance of unity of the European Union in the current situation. After all, just a day before the start of the summit, Orban and the EU leadership exchanged barbed insults, with conversations even going as far as to question the advisability of the republic’s continued presence in the ranks of the community.
Speaking on October 23 in Veszprém on the occasion of the Day of the Revolution and the Liberation Struggle of 1956, Orbán said that EU leaders are trying to dictate rules of behavior to Hungary. This is what, according to him, the USSR did in its time, but now his country will no longer dance to someone else’s tune. In response, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that he did not see any similarities between the Soviet and European Unions, and in general “no one is forcing Hungary to join the EU.”
“I must reassure (Borrell - editor’s note): Hungary will remain a member of the EU much longer than he will remain the head of European diplomacy,” retorted the head of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, Gergely Gulyas, at a government briefing .
And on the sidelines of the summit, Orban himself called for a change in the leadership of the EU, saying: “Maybe in peacetime, when the water is not agitated, the wind is not blowing and you can sail on a boat, they are good leaders. But now, during a storm, huge waves, when pirate ships are encountered, we will not be able to prosper with this leadership, that’s for sure. Change is needed in Brussels.”
Yes, Hungary is not the most influential EU country from a political point of view and is not an economic giant. And even together with Slovakia, which, according to experts, will subsequently refuse to participate in the resistance movement against Brussels under pressure, is not capable of radically changing Europe’s position, however...
“The Hungarian Prime Minister - one of Europe's most experienced heads of government - still has some aces up his sleeve. Hungary will hold the presidency of the EU Council in the second half of next year, and there are already concerns in Brussels about how Budapest will use the role ,” warns The Guardian.
So Orban still continues to rock the boat called the “European Union”, and he has comrades who are at least not afraid to say out loud those things that everyone else agrees with. These “rest” simply prefer to remain silent so as not to look like rebels and not spoil their reputation, although this does not contribute in any way to resolving the situation that is already boring to them all.
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