Hungary may lift veto on opening new EU negotiation clusters for Ukraine
Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar (Getty Images)
Hungary may stop blocking the opening of new negotiation clusters for Ukraine, but Budapest has set Kyiv a condition related to the rights of national minorities, the Financial Times reports.
Hungary is expected to lift its veto on the technical stage of Ukraine’s EU accession process this week. In Brussels, officials hope this will allow Kyiv to make another significant step forward in its negotiations with the European Union by the end of the month.
According to two officials, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar instructed Hungarian diplomats not to block the sending of letters to Ukraine and Moldova regarding the possible opening of the next two negotiation clusters.
The clusters concern the internal market and competitiveness policy. According to the Financial Times, these issues are expected to be discussed during working meetings this week.
Sources told the publication that the move is procedural but also symbolic. It could signal Budapest’s readiness to stop blocking progress in the negotiations involving Ukraine and Moldova at this stage.
What condition has Hungary set?
At the same time, Hungary’s agreement to allow the technical process to move forward does not mean full political support for opening the clusters.
According to the Financial Times, Budapest’s final position will depend on whether the Verkhovna Rada adopts a bill on October 12 that would expand educational opportunities for national minorities.
The rights of Hungary’s minority in Ukraine have long been one of Budapest’s key issues in its relations with Kyiv. This is why the Hungarian side is paying particular attention to legislative changes in this area.
According to the media outlet, the bill was drafted taking into account proposals and comments from Hungarian officials. Its adoption could become a condition for Hungary to fully support Ukraine’s further progress in its negotiations with the EU.
If the Verkhovna Rada approves the document, the official political process for opening the new clusters could begin before the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels. The summit is scheduled for 10 days from now.
“The accession path of Ukraine is taking shape, respecting the process, and realism,” an EU official familiar with discussions with Budapest said.
RBC-Ukraine previously reported that the EU is considering giving candidate countries broader access to the bloc’s single market even before they formally join the EU.
At the same time, the European Commission is working on changes that could limit individual countries’ ability to block joint EU decisions. Such a reform could potentially simplify the bloc’s future enlargement process, including Ukraine’s accession.
