Orban Faces Trouble as Budget Consultations Begin in the European Union
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hinted that pro-Russian Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban will face significant difficulties due to his blocking of loans for Ukraine. Orban has violated his loyalty to the European Union.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Merz’s statement during a briefing on March 20.
Also read: Money will come “one way or another”: von der Leyen assured that Ukraine will receive a loan from the EU
Merz described Orban’s actions as a gross violation of loyalty to the EU, as member states are obligated to support one another and “agreed that we can rely on each other’s word.” What Orban has done undermines some of the bloc’s principles.
“This is a gross violation of loyalty among member states and damages the effectiveness and reputation of the European Union as a whole,” Merz noted.
Merz also confirmed that the European Commission has been tasked with exploring additional options for providing Ukraine with the promised funding. The Chancellor expressed hope that the EU would be able to make the payments and “that this will happen as soon as possible.” The goal, he said, remains unchanged – “two-thirds for military and one-third for civilian equipment.”
Regarding the troubles for Orban, Merz assured that he would definitely raise the issue of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s actions during the budget consultations. The EU will not let his actions go unpunished.
“We agree that what happened in the European Council will not be accepted. And this will have consequences that go far beyond this particular event… When the budget formation begins and everything that flows from it, we will have to fundamentally discuss this issue again,” he promised.
Orban Has Almost Played His Hand
It is worth noting that even before the summit, Merz urged the European Union to urgently unblock financial assistance to Ukraine amounting to 90 billion euros. However, all efforts by EU countries were in vain: they could not persuade Orban to lift his veto.
Orban took advantage of the damage to the Druzhba pipeline in January to block the loan for Ukraine. This is a violation of his own word given to EU leaders, and at the same time, a convenient excuse for his election campaign.
However, it seems that this time the Hungarian Prime Minister has indeed overplayed his hand. EU members have not only criticized Orban but are also openly hinting that they do not intend to forgive Budapest for its sabotage.
For example, Sweden has already openly stated its readiness to consider Article 7 of the EU Treaty – a mechanism to deprive Hungary of its voting rights. President of the European Council António Costa even called the behavior of the Hungarian Prime Minister “unacceptable.”
