Will the new Hungarian government unlock important credit for Ukraine?
The leader of the “Tisa” party and winner of the parliamentary elections in Hungary, Peter Madjar, hinted that he would not block the 90 billion euros for Ukraine.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Madjar’s press conference.
Also read: Germany expects “very quick” 90 billion euros for Ukraine after Orbán’s defeat
According to him, the decision on this matter was effectively made back in December at the level of the European Council. At that time, Hungary, as well as Slovakia and the Czech Republic, were given the option not to participate in the program.
“I don’t fully understand this; I will discuss it with European leaders. But personally, I agree that Hungary should refuse,” Madjar noted.
He emphasized that Hungary “is in a very difficult financial situation,” and therefore cannot afford additional funding.
“Our task is to reclaim the EU funds that belong to us and that every other member state has received except us. Since we did not receive them, we cannot use them to improve our economy. Therefore, we really cannot take on more loans,” the politician added.
He separately criticized the policy of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, pointing out the inconsistency of his positions regarding EU decisions.
“The Hungarian budget deficit and national debt have tripled since 2010. Therefore, we would like to bring EU funds back home. But this decision was already made in December in Brussels, so I don’t know why it needs to be reconsidered. Although I understand that Viktor Orbán’s position often changes – he initially supported it and then rejected it,” Madjar emphasized.
He added that he hopes Orbán will call him if Hungary has certain unmet international obligations; in particular, if there is a need to discuss the “technical solution” required for allocating credit to Ukraine.
What preceded this
The issue of credit for Ukraine remains a subject of sharp disputes within the European Union. Kyiv still cannot receive about 90 billion euros in aid, as Hungary is blocking the procedural decision, having set the condition of resuming Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline.
Budapest’s position has provoked a strong reaction among partners. In particular, Sweden has expressed readiness to consider invoking Article 7 of the EU Treaty, which could deprive Hungary of its voting rights. President of the European Council António Costa called the actions of the Hungarian authorities “unacceptable.”
At the same time, the European Commission notes that funding for Ukraine will be ensured regardless of the positions of individual countries. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated that the EU will “find a mechanism to provide credit to Kyiv one way or another.”
