Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s Prime Minister, once again stated that the opening of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union is a mistake. At his party’s congress on November 18, the politician promised to “correct the mistake,” as reported by the Hungarian pro-government publication Magyar Hirlap.
Orbán believes that Ukraine is supposedly not ready to join the European Union. Moreover, there will be “serious political battles” within the EU in the coming months, with Ukraine becoming one of the main topics, according to the Hungarian Prime Minister.
“We resist the machinations of Brussels bureaucrats, we resist the influx of migrants, we resist gender propaganda, we resist the illusions of war, we resist Ukraine’s unprepared EU membership, we resist ‘green’ ideologies increasingly showing signs of communism and even Jacobinism,” Orbán said.
Hungary should not leave the EU but change it because the EU, without “radical changes,” will simply fall apart, the Hungarian politician said. “We don’t want Europe and Hungary to turn into an open-air museum,” Orbán added.
After the European Commission recommended that EU countries start accession negotiations with Ukraine, Balázs Orbán, a political director of the Hungarian Prime Minister, stated that Hungary would block the start of negotiations with Ukraine on EU accession if Kyiv does not meet Hungarian language education requirements. Later, Viktor Orbán said that Ukraine is “light years away from the EU.”
Additionally, on November 17, the Hungarian government-affiliated analytical center Nézőpont Intézet published the results of a supposed “survey,” according to which most Hungarians oppose Ukraine’s accession to the EU. The so-called “survey” indicates that 62% of Hungarians “disagree that Ukraine should join the European Union,” while only 26% agree.
“It is noteworthy that the results of the Nézőpont Intézet “survey,” considered close to the government by independent Hungarian media, were published on the day when the Hungarian government released questions for the so-called public “consultations” regarding Ukraine’s accession to the EU,” European Pravda writes.
On November 13, Hungary once again blocked the allocation of funds for weapons to Ukraine – EUR 500 million. This is the eighth tranche of the European Peace Facility, from which EU countries compensate Ukraine for supplying weapons.
Cover: Reuters
