Macron invites Orbán to Paris to find compromise on Ukraine's EU accession - Politico
French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán (RBC-Ukraine collage)
French President Emmanuel Macron has invited the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, to meet with him in Paris at the end of this week to find a compromise on initiating negotiations for Ukraine's EU accession, according to Politico.
According to a source in Paris, Macron's team believes that the Hungarian leader can still be persuaded to support Ukraine's EU accession. Orbán was “driving up the bids” in a gamble to get more EU money, the official said. “It’s purely tactical … that’s why there’s a certain optimism that we can reach an agreement.”
According to an EU official, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, will shorten his trip to Beijing because the Hungarian Prime Minister threatens to disrupt the EU leaders' summit on December 14-15.
Negotiations on Ukraine's EU accession
A few weeks ago, the European Commission released a report recommending the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Now the unanimous agreement of all EU countries is needed. It will be discussed by the member states leaders at the summit scheduled for December 14-15.
Hungary openly states that it opposes negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the bloc. Currently, according to the media, the Hungarian Prime Minister is trying to persuade the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, not to raise the issue at the EU leaders' summit on December 14-15.
