Tensions between Brussels and Budapest flared again on Tuesday following renewed calls from European People’s Party (EPP) President Manfred Weber to accelerate Ukraine’s path to European Union membership.
Speaking in the European Parliament, Weber reiterated the EPP’s support for Kyiv, arguing that Ukrainians should enjoy the same opportunities as Hungarians have since joining the bloc two decades ago.
“Just as Hungarians have benefited from the single market, political stability, and free movement, so too should the Ukrainian people,” Weber stated, echoing sentiments affirmed at last week’s EPP party congress in Valencia.
The remarks were met with swift criticism from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has long expressed skepticism toward fast-tracking Ukraine’s accession. Taking to social media, Orbán accused Weber of ignoring the realities of the situation, asserting that Ukraine represents not an asset, but a risk to the EU.
“Hungary was admitted to the European Union because it was a good deal for everyone, including Germany,” Orbán wrote. “The accession of Ukraine is not a good deal. It is a liability. It is a huge mistake to send European funds to Ukraine instead of using them to strengthen the struggling European economy.
“It’s time for European leaders to start representing the European people, Herr Weber!” he added.
While Weber framed Hungary’s membership as a moral argument for Ukraine’s inclusion, Orbán pushed back on both practical and democratic grounds. He argued that Ukraine’s corruption, ongoing war, and fragile institutions make its inclusion untenable at present, and emphasized the importance of national sovereignty in the face of what he characterized as increasing pressure from Brussels.
“The Hungarian people will not be told by Kyiv or Brussels how to exercise their rights,” the prime minister declared.
Orbán further warned that admitting Ukraine could have dire economic consequences for Hungary, even going so far as to claim it would risk national bankruptcy. He urged Hungarian citizens to express their views in the Voks 2025 referendum on the matter.
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