Hungary pours cold water on Ukraine's EU membership bid

Almost immediately after Ukraine received the "good news" about a new step forward on the path to joining the European Union (EU), Hungary quickly voiced its objection, saying that until peace is restored in Ukraine, the country is not qualified to become an EU member.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference on November 8 that Kiev had completed “more than 90% of the necessary steps” and proposed to formally open accession talks. The proposal comes with conditions that Ukraine must meet and must receive consensus across the bloc.

EU leaders are expected to meet at a summit in Brussels on December 14 and discuss the next steps for the European roadmap of not only Ukraine but also Moldova, and Georgia, which has just been upgraded to official candidate status.

Joining the EU would move Ukraine further west. But its most challenging task will be to complete complex reforms, especially to combat rampant corruption, while waging a war against Russia.

The Eastern European country's journey to EU membership could be long and fraught with obstacles, including disagreement from members such as Hungary.

World - Hungary “pours cold water” on Ukraine’s efforts to join the EU — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomes European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen to Kiev, November 4, 2023. Photo: Kyiv Independent

Responding to the EC's recommendation, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the EU's enlargement policy should aim to spread peace, not bring war into the bloc.

“With Ukraine, war will enter the EU, which we obviously do not want and cannot want,” Hungary’s conservative daily Magyar Hirlap quoted Mr. Szijjarto as saying on November 8.

“Therefore, we do not currently consider any progress regarding the accession talks with Ukraine to be timely,” the Hungarian foreign minister added, dealing a blow to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ambitions.

Foreign Minister Szijjarto expressed a number of other concerns regarding Ukraine’s political landscape, accusing the country of lacking “press freedom” and “freedom of speech,” and stressing that the lack of democracy was such that “elections are not even held” – a reference to Mr Zelensky’s recent announcement to postpone the presidential election in 2024.

The Hungarian diplomat therefore concluded that it would be “absurd” for EU member states to be asked to consider the accession application of such a candidate.

Mr. Szijjarto also raised the issue of the Hungarian ethnic community in the Transcarpathian region, a province located in southwestern Ukraine.

In the eyes of the Hungarian government, other countries deserve more progress in their EU accession talks, including Serbia and Georgia. According to Mr Szijjarto, Serbia’s membership “has been an unfinished process for 20 years” and “the Western Balkans’ place is clearly in the European Union”.

The comments by Hungary's top diplomat mean Ukraine will face significant obstacles when EU leaders discuss the issue in Brussels next month, although the Commission wants to draft and present a negotiating framework to member states by March next year.

President Zelensky, however, appeared undeterred. In a video address to the nation on November 8, he said that “the history of Ukraine and the whole of Europe” had taken a “correct step” and that he expected a positive response from the European Council next month.

“Ukrainians have always been and are part of our common European family. Our country should be in the EU. Ukrainians deserve this because they defended European values and the fact that even in a full-scale war we kept our word by developing state institutions,” Zelensky added .

Minh Duc (According to Remix, Bloomberg)

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