EU discusses measures in case of Hungarian PM Orban's election victory

The European Union is considering five possible courses of action if Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s party wins parliamentary elections again.

According to Politico, citing 10 EU diplomats, one option is extending qualified majority voting to sensitive areas that currently require unanimity, including foreign policy and certain aspects of the EU’s long-term budget. “If you want to react quickly, you need more decisions taken by QMV,” one diplomat said.

A second scenario involves a “multi-speed Europe” format, allowing more flexible cooperation—from informal coalitions of willing countries to enhanced collaboration among smaller groups of states. Two diplomats emphasised that such arrangements should remain exceptions, not the new normal.

Other options include tougher sanctions against Hungary, such as freezing EU funds. European Council President António Costa noted that Orban’s blocking of a loan to Ukraine violated Article 4(3) of the EU Treaty on “sincere cooperation.” A senior European Commission official added that enforcing this article could trigger financial sanctions.

There is also discussion of temporarily suspending Hungary’s voting rights in the EU Council, although this would require support from all 27 other member states, which is unlikely due to objections from Slovakia.

The least realistic option is expelling Hungary from the EU. No country has ever been forced to leave the bloc, and the topic remains taboo. However, one diplomat referenced a legal blog post that explored hypothetical ways to “walk out on Hungary,” including reinterpreting Article 50 (the mechanism the UK used for Brexit). The diplomat noted, “not realistic but a good pitch,” adding that “a few years ago people talked hypothetically about this scenario — now it’s doing the rounds again.”