Politico: EU pushes plan to bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine accession talks

The European Union is discussing a plan to bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s path to membership. The new proposal would allow accession negotiations to begin by qualified majority, rather than requiring unanimous approval.

According to Politico, European Council President António Costa has initiated efforts to advance Ukraine’s EU application. Sources, including five diplomats and officials, indicate that Costa is seeking support from EU capitals to unblock the accession process for both Ukraine and Moldova.

The main goal is to circumvent opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has used his veto to block progress. Under current rules, all 27 EU member states must approve each stage of the negotiations.

Under Costa’s plan, negotiation clusters could open with a qualified majority of EU countries. While unanimous approval would still be required to close a cluster, the new approach would allow reforms to start and progress even if one or two countries resist.

This mechanism would enable Ukraine and Moldova to demonstrate progress in specific political areas and move closer to meeting EU standards.

By Vugar Khalilov