Hungary put the timeline at risk by opposing a letter to the European Council and Commission, representing the joint position of the EU’s 27 members. This decision requires unanimous approval, and Hungary was the only dissenting country, with discussions set to continue next week according to diplomats.
The Hungarian Permanent Representation in Brussels did not respond to a request for comment.
This aligns with Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s reserved attitude toward Ukraine’s EU membership.
Although Magyar didn’t block opening an initial cluster for Ukraine, his government insisted on removing the phrase “as soon as possible” from the conclusions of EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels last week, a diplomat noted.
The diplomats spoke under anonymity, as they are prohibited from discussing closed-door proceedings on the record.
At a news conference following the European Council meeting last week, Magyar emphasized his stance, saying: “There are six clusters in total, and opening them all at once isn’t a good idea. The ink on the first isn’t even dry and it would send the wrong message to Western Balkans countries — Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia — which have been working toward EU membership for years.”
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