As the summit which brought together different European countries on the situation in Ukraine ended Thursday evening, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán found himself under fire from other leaders, accusing him of being disloyal to the European Union by blocking decision-making. Among them, Emmanuel Macron, the German Chancellor, but also our Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
The attitude of the Hungarian leader constitutes “a blatant act of disloyalty within the European Union”, criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
He believes that this saga will leave “deep traces” within the EU. This blockage is not only putting Ukraine in difficulty, it is also the credibility of the EU which is at stake, warned French President Emmanuel Macron.
Blockage of loan implementation
Viktor Orbán agreed in December to release a credit of 90 billion euros. Since February, the Hungarian Prime Minister – in the middle of the campaign for the legislative elections on April 12 – has blocked the implementation of the loan. He only intends to give in when Ukraine has repaired the Druzhba pipeline and Russian oil flows again to Hungary.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed on Thursday that the EU would ensure “one way or another” that Ukraine receives these funds. Diplomatic sources say the deadline for Ukraine to be bailed out has been moved from April to May thanks to a recent IMF loan.
Bart De Wever is also indignant
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever also had harsh words for Viktor Orbán. “If a member state declares war on the European Union by blocking a decision crucial to Europe’s geopolitical stability, that is the shortest route to exit,” he said.
But he put the “annoyance” caused by the delay into perspective, saying he was “optimistic” about an unblocking after April 12.