EU Negotiations Stall: It’s Not Just About the Hungarian Veto

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Deutsche Welle quotes unnamed European Commission officials as saying that the EU “has not found” a way to circumvent Hungary’s veto on starting negotiations with Ukraine on the clusters of the Acquis communautaire—in other words, on accession to the EU. They add: “Let’s wait until April next year—maybe the government in Hungary will change.”

This is, although, back in the summer, officials of European institutions—also speaking anonymously—stated (including the leading Ukrainian journalists) that there was a way to bypass Hungary’s veto. Colleagues from parliaments across various EU countries confirmed this to me as well. Moreover, options had been sought and proposed for a long time—if only there had been the political will.

What has changed since the summer, the season “before the European holidays”? The answer is obvious: an attempt by the OPs to subordinate anti-corruption bodies and deceive the EU in the process.

On the surface, it may seem they “got away with it.” Partners appear to have bought into the narrative of “IT IS IT” and “correcting the mistake.” But the residue remains.

Furthermore, other issues that had previously been discussed largely behind closed doors have now become a matter of public debate.

These include problems with democracy unrelated to martial law—pressure on the opposition, “sanctions” against Poroshenko, and unlawful restrictions on parliamentarians.

They also include restrictions on freedom of speech not dictated by the needs of war, such as the “marathon,” hate campaigns on Telegram, and the shutdown of independent channels.

And finally, issues concerning the rule of law, including the use of law enforcement agencies for domestic political repression and to gain a competitive advantage in business.

In short, everything aligns with the September Resolution of the European Parliament, as well as articles in Politico, The Economist, and other publications. Unfortunately, the OP will likely see in this situation only an opportunity to blame Hungary for the failure of European integration.

But there is another path.

– Deploy diplomatic pressure on Hungary, as was possible until 2019, when Orbán did not block either the ratification of the Association Agreement or visa-free travel. Utilize all avenues of parliamentary diplomacy in this effort (let us recall that the government disrupted Orbán’s meeting with Poroshenko, one of the best negotiators).

– Include the provisions of the EP Resolution in the Government’s Action Program and budget, subordinating all government activity to the needs of defense and European integration. Clearly, this should also involve reducing pressure on the opposition and returning to a stance of “military unity.”

– As a guarantee of such unity, form a coalition of national unity and a professional Government of National Salvation, as experts have long recommended.

But all of this must serve the country, not the OP. Therefore, we are preparing to confront Orbán diplomatically while continuing current efforts as best we can—though results are not expected soon.

Recall that the fifth President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, during his speech in the Verkhovna Rada, called on people’s deputies not to ignore the demands of Ukraine’s European partners, which were recorded in the European Parliament Resolution of September 9, 2025.

As is known, the European Parliament, in its Resolution on Ukraine, in particular, called on the Ukrainian authorities to refrain from untimely and politically motivated legal proceedings and sanctions against opposition representatives, as well as to support parliamentary pluralism and promote constructive dialogue between political factions in the Verkhovna Rada.

In addition, the European Parliament stressed the need to lift all restrictions on travel abroad for members of the Verkhovna Rada and to carry out a structural reform of the State Bureau of Investigation to strengthen its independence and efficiency to prevent abuses in connection with election campaigns, and also called for the restoration of full nationwide broadcasting for media providers as a matter of policy, firmly rejecting further slide towards political censorship, etc.

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