Hungary has delayed a key procedural step needed to advance the EU accession talks of Ukraine and Moldova, according to two EU diplomats cited by Politico on 23 June.
Budapest was the sole holdout against sending a letter to the European Council and Commission on behalf of all 27 EU member states, spelling out the bloc's joint position. The move requires unanimous consent. Diplomats told Politico the matter will be put to discussion again next week.
Why this matters
The delay puts at risk Ukraine's goal of opening all six negotiating clusters by mid-July. Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka told Politico earlier in June that Kyiv was aiming to reach that milestone.
Ukraine and Moldova cleared a previous hurdle on 15 June, when EU countries unanimously approved opening the first formal negotiating cluster — covering judicial reform, anti-corruption, public procurement transparency, freedom of expression, human rights, and democratic institutions. That opening had been blocked for years under former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Magyar's position
The delay fits the pattern of Prime Minister Péter Magyar's measured stance on Ukrainian membership. According to one diplomat, Hungary insisted on removing the words "as soon as possible" regarding Ukraine's EU accession from the written conclusions of last week's EU leaders' summit in Brussels.
At a news conference closing that summit, Magyar said: "There are six clusters in total, and we don't think opening them all at once is a good idea — partly because the ink on the first one isn't even dry yet, and partly because it would send the wrong message to the countries of the Western Balkans — Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia — [which] have spent years working toward EU membership."
A spokesperson for the Hungarian Permanent Representation in Brussels did not respond to Politico's request for comment. Both diplomats were quoted anonymously, as they were not authorised to speak on the record about closed-door procedures.
