Latest news with #UkraineAccession
Irish Times
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘Don't ruin the love story between Irish and Hungarian patriots': Viktor Orban criticises Taoiseach
Hungary 's prime minister, Viktor Orban , has criticised Micheál Martin for standing 'on the side of an empire' after the Taoiseach lambasted his 'wilful abuse' of EU veto powers. Mr Orban, who has been in power since 2010, has frequently used veto powers, halting decisions that must be made by unanimous agreement, which has in the past delayed aid for Ukraine. He has threatened to use the veto mechanism to halt Ukraine's accession as an EU member state, which he has claimed would 'bankrupt Europe', saying last week: 'There is no Ukrainian EU accession without Hungary.' Speaking to Euronews, the Taoiseach described Hungary's efforts to block the accession as 'outrageous.' READ MORE 'In my view, it's essential that Ukraine becomes a member of the European Union for geopolitical reasons,' he said. [ Zelenskiy challenges Putin to meet in person for peace talks on Thursday Opens in new window ] Mr Martin accused the prime minister of 'unreasonably exploiting' the mechanisms of the veto, saying Europe has made attempts to 'try and unblock these issues through mediation and engagement.' 'We have always accepted unanimity on certain aspects and we think it's been abused. 'I believe the European Union will not become workable if that abuse continues. 'I think there's only so much member states can take in terms of wilful abuse of the veto, we've seen it play out in Ukraine and there are a number of instruments that we can use and we shouldn't be afraid to use them,' he said. These instruments include Article 7, he said, which allows EU membership rights to be suspended, including voting rights in the Council of the EU and the European Council, if a country seriously and persistently breaches the principles on which the EU is founded. The Taoiseach also said he was 'very concerned' about Hungary's 'undermining of the LGBTI community, and the banning of Pride parades.' Dear Taoiseach We Hungarians have always regarded Irish patriots as champions of freedom and national independence. For us, Ireland is a symbol of liberty and sovereignty. For this reason, it is always shocking when we see that an Irish patriot chooses to stand… — Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) A law banning Pride events and allowing authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attendees was passed by Orban's government earlier this year 'These are very fundamental issues that the European Union has to engage with,' he said, adding that some of the rhetoric emanating from Mr Orban towards the EU is 'inflaming public opinion in a very negative way.' 'What we have in Europe is very precious and we shouldn't be shy in standing up for it and protecting it,' he said. In response to the interview, Mr Orban posted on X that Hungarians have 'always regarded Irish patriots as champions of freedom and national independence.' 'For us, Ireland is a symbol of liberty and sovereignty. 'For this reason, it is always shocking when we see that an Irish patriot chooses to stand on the side of an empire instead of national sovereignty. Please don't ruin the love story between Irish and Hungarian patriots,' he said.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU has alternative plans if Hungary vetoes Ukraine's accession, Kallas says
The EU would like to secure unanimous support, but it has alternative plans if Hungary vetoes Ukraine's accession to the bloc, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on May 9. "We have a plan B and a plan C. But our focus is plan A, the essence of which is to get everyone's support," Kallas reporters in a visit to Lviv. Hungarian Prime Minister has been a vocal critic of President Volodymyr Zelensky and has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orban on April 22 publicly shared photos of himself marking "against" on a ballot in a national poll opposing Ukraine's accession to the EU. " has its own homework, and the EU also has to do its homework... we are working with the Hungarian government," Kallas said. Hungarian officials have repeatedly threatened to undermine Ukraine's EU candidacy and EU support for Ukraine. Hungary has repeatedly blocked or delayed EU aid packages for Kyiv. "But if that doesn't work, we're already working on a plan B, but I won't reveal it. We're still in the process," said. European officials have denounced Hungary for aligning with Russia. European officials, including Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, have suggested stripping Hungary of its voting power within the bloc. "The accession process, or as we call it, the reunification process, is important not only for Ukraine, but also for the European Union," Kallas said. Hungary maintains positive relations with Russia in contrast with other EU members. On March 26, Hungarian Foreign Minister visited Moscow to discuss continued between the two countries. "Article 7 of the Treaty on provides for the possibility of withdrawing a member state's voting rights if membership endangers the security of Europe and that of the other members.... that's exactly what (Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor) Orban is doing," Tsahkna said in an interview released on April 5. Read also: 5 things Putin conveniently left out of his Victory Day speech in Moscow We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
