EU pushes plan to bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine accession talks - Politico
Photo: António Costa, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Ursula von der Leyen (Getty Images)
The EU is discussing ways to bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s path to membership. The new plan would allow negotiations to open by a qualified majority, Politico reports.
Costa’s diplomatic initiative
European Council President António Costa has initiated efforts to advance Ukraine’s EU membership application. According to five diplomats and officials, he is seeking support among EU capitals to unblock the process for Ukraine and Moldova.
The main goal is to bypass opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who uses his veto to block progress. Under current rules, all 27 EU members must approve each stage of the negotiations.
Proposal to reform procedure
Under Costa’s plan, negotiation clusters could be opened by a qualified majority of EU countries rather than unanimously. Closing a cluster would still require the consent of all capitals, but the new scheme would allow reforms to begin and progress even if one or two countries oppose.
This would enable Ukraine and Moldova to demonstrate progress in specific political areas and move closer to EU standards.
Lobbying and support
According to diplomats, Costa is actively lobbying for his initiative during meetings with European leaders. He recently conducted a “tour des capitales” and also discussed the topic of enlargement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
“Enlargement is an important priority for the President of the European Council. He sees it as the most important geopolitical investment the EU can make. That’s why he believes it is important to continue discussing avenues to ensure that Ukraine’s reform efforts can be translated into tangible steps,” said one European official.
Ukraine’s readiness
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said that Ukraine has completed the legislative screening required for the next step.
“All clusters have been screened in record time. Ukraine has delivered. Ukraine is ready for the next step. It’s now up to member states to give the green lights,” Kos told Politico.
EU Enlargement Commissioner also added: “Both Ukraine and Europe cannot afford to see Ukraine’s momentum for reforms slow down. This is the moment to accelerate.”
According to a survey by the Rating Group, the European Union enjoys the highest level of trust among Ukrainians among international organizations, with 63% expressing confidence in the EU.
A survey by Info Sapiens showed that 74% of citizens support Ukraine’s EU membership. Forty-two percent believe accession will happen within the next five years, another 22% expect it within six to ten years, while 12% are convinced that Ukraine will never join the EU.
