Everybody remembers how Hungary was ridiculed a year ago for saying that the European Commission was planning a fast-track accession of Ukraine into the European Union as early as 2030. Now, the mouthpiece of the Brussels elites, POLITICO Brussels, has published a five-step manual on how to bring Kyiv into the EU by 2027, including the outrageous suggestions of ‘waiting for Orbán’s departure’ and ‘stripping Hungary of its voting rights’ in EU decision-making.
‘Four years on from Russia’s full-scale invasion, and with Kyiv pushing for EU membership in 2027 to be included in a peace deal with the Kremlin, the early-stage idea would represent a dramatic change to the way the bloc brings new countries into the fold,’ the article begins, adding that ‘obstacles lie ahead,’ including ‘Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who opposes Ukraine’s membership.’
The article is based on conversations with five diplomats representing different countries, as well as three EU and two Ukrainian officials who were, of course, granted anonymity to discuss confidential negotiations. From these conversations, POLITICO identified five steps for accepting Ukraine into the EU as soon as next year.
Tailoring EU for Ukraine
The first step, according to POLITICO, is to prepare Ukraine for accession. The bloc has already provided Kyiv with details on three of six negotiating clusters and, at an informal meeting of European affairs ministers in Cyprus in March, the EU intends to give the Ukrainian delegation details of additional clusters so work can begin on those as well.
EU officials speaking to POLITICO said there will be ‘no shortcuts’ on reforms, stating that EU membership brings benefits only if a country undergoes ‘transformation via the enlargement process.’ Kyiv appears ready—at least rhetorically. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that Kyiv ‘will be technically ready by 2027,’ adding that EU membership constitutes ‘security guarantees’ for the country in the event of a possible ceasefire.
To make this happen, the Commission is planning to introduce what POLITICO describes as ‘EU membership-lite’ or ‘reverse enlargement’, meaning that Ukraine would first join the bloc and then ‘get phased-in rights and obligations’. In essence, this would reinvent EU rules to accommodate a single country—Ukraine—an approach that is complete nonsense, yet there is more to come.
Making Orbán Lose the Election
The third step in POLITICO’s manual is bluntly titled ‘Wait for Orbán’s departure’, referring to the upcoming April election in Hungary, which the Commission and the Western mainstream expect to end the 15-year rule of Prime Minister Orbán and his government. To help ensure this outcome, EU elites—including European People’s Party (EPP) leader Manfred Weber—openly support Orbán’s opposition, Fidesz defector Péter Magyar.
Hungary is seen as one of the biggest obstacles to Ukraine’s EU membership, as Orbán has vowed to block every decision related to the issue, citing negative security and economic consequences. Hungary has advocated peace talks between Ukraine and Russia since the outset of the war, positioning itself as a lone European pro-peace voice. Over the weekend, Orbán declared that Ukraine is an ‘enemy’ of Hungary because of its push to ban Russian energy imports and that it should ‘never’ join the EU.
According to POLITICO, several EU officials expressed hope that, if Orbán loses the election, Péter Magyar could ‘change track on Ukraine’.
‘Several EU officials expressed hope that, if Orbán loses the election, Péter Magyar could “change track on Ukraine”’
But what if election interference does not work and Orbán still manages to win? No problem, POLITICO suggests, introducing the fourth step: ‘playing the Trump card’ in order to bring Orbán on board. The outlet—and Zelenskyy as well—hopes that the US president would pressure the Hungarian leader to lift his veto on Kyiv’s accession.
And if Washington’s pressure fails, there is still one final option for Ukraine: stripping Hungary of its voting rights in the EU—a long-discussed idea in the so-called heart of European democracy. The Article 7 procedure, ongoing against Hungary since 2018, should be revived, EU officials said, in order to circumvent Orbán’s veto.
‘The EU has no intention of making that push yet, assuming that doing so would play into Orbán’s hands ahead of his April election. But capitals are gauging support for using the tool if Orbán is reelected and continues to obstruct EU decision-making,’ the article explains.
There is also another push by the EPP, as reported by Hungarian Conservative, to reform EU decision-making and eliminate national vetoes in foreign policy and security matters. This would contradict the EU Treaties, but we may need to accept that democracy in Europe is applied only when it serves the interests of Western European elites—and, of course, Ukraine.
Related articles:
