Hungary Again Hinders EU Accession Talks for Ukraine and Moldova

Hungary is once again hindering the European Union's accession process for Ukraine and Moldova, reportedly blocking a crucial step in the negotiations. According to sources cited by "The Kyiv Post" and "European Pravda," a third attempt to reach an agreement is scheduled for September 1st, following a blockage during a meeting of the EU Council's Working Party on Enlargement (COELA).

This marks the second instance in five days where Budapest has obstructed progress. Previously, on July 17th, Hungary agreed to support Moldova's third-stage accession process but refused to do the same for Ukraine. A significant majority of EU member states rejected this divergent approach, as the accession processes for both countries are closely linked and require unanimous consent from all 27 EU member states.

The blocked negotiation stages, specifically the second and third, encompass areas such as the internal market, competitiveness, and inclusive growth, primarily focusing on economic integration. The EU officially launched the first stage, "Foundations," for both Ukraine and Moldova on June 15th, covering rule of law, human rights, and judicial reform. Stage six, concerning common foreign and security policy, trade policy, and external relations, was initiated on July 14th.

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There are six chapters in total, and we do not think it is a good idea to start them all at once. Firstly, the first chapter was only recently started, and secondly, it would create a false impression for the Western Balkan countries.

Hungary has repeatedly used its veto power to slow Ukraine's EU accession. It had technically halted negotiation chapters 2 through 6, only partially withdrawing objections to chapter six on July 3rd. In late June, Budapest was the sole EU state to refuse a joint letter to the European Council and Commission regarding the initiation of the remaining five chapters. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar argued that starting all chapters simultaneously would be unfair to Western Balkan candidate countries.

Budapest often cites the need for more time for technical assessments, though critics view these arguments as procedural delays. Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán previously stalled Ukraine's accession for years, questioning its membership and raising concerns about the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. While Magyar initially echoed similar sentiments, he signed a "historic agreement" with Ukraine in June, officially guaranteeing the rights of the Hungarian national minority in areas of education, culture, language, and politics. Kyiv, meanwhile, insists it has met all technical requirements for the remaining stages and warns that further delays send the wrong political message, especially as Ukraine fights a war with Russia and aligns its legislation with EU standards.

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