Hungary blocks opening of first cluster of talks on Ukraine’s EU membership, Polish news outlet says
Pravda Ukraine
Journalists of a Polish media outlet have learned that Hungary has blocked the opening of the first cluster of negotiations on Ukraine’s membership in the European Union, the Fundamentals, which deals with the rule of law.
Source: Polish broadcaster RMF24, which spoke to an EU diplomat, as reported by European Pravda
Details: RMF24 stated that the Polish presidency in the EU presented on Friday, 14 February, a letter with the conditions for the opening of the Fundamentals cluster, which will be sent to Ukraine.
It is about the preparation and adoption of two roadmaps. One of them should relate to the rule of law reform plan, and the other to the public administration reform.
The text of the letter was widely supported by the EU countries, with the exception of one delegation, and unanimity is required to send it.
The Polish media outlet noted that only the Hungarian delegation opposed the adoption of the letter, demanding that Ukraine also present a plan for the protection of national minorities.
It is noted that this could lead to the blocking of the opening of the first cluster of talks in April, as two more procedural decisions have to be made by then, each of which could be blocked.
Background:
- At the end of January, it was reported that the EU leadership believed that they would find a way to reach an agreement with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán so that he would not block the actual start of negotiations with Ukraine on joining the European Union.
- In early February, Máté Kocsis, the leader of Fidesz, the Hungarian ruling party, said that, according to Hungarian intelligence services, Ukraine had launched a smear campaign against Orbán.
- After that, Hungary’s Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar arrived in Kyiv to demand explanations from the Ukrainian authorities concerning an alleged “smear campaign” against Hungary.
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in turn, categorically rejected the Hungarian authorities’ accusations of an alleged “smear campaign” on the part of Ukraine.
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