BRUSSELS, September 29. /TASS/. European Council President Antonio Costa is pursuing an initiative to revise the procedure for admitting new member states to the European Union in order to bypass Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s accession, Politico reported, citing European diplomats and officials.
According to the sources, Costa suggests that the opening of each stage in a country’s path toward EU membership could be approved by a qualified majority of member states rather than unanimously, as is currently required. However, the consent of all EU members would still be necessary for each stage to be formally ratified.
The sources told Politico that Costa promoted this idea among EU leaders during his recent tour of European capitals and in bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. "Enlargement is an important priority for the president of the European Council. He sees it as the most important geopolitical investment the EU can make," an unnamed official said.
Earlier, Deutsche Welle (DW, recognized as a foreign agent media outlet in Russia) reported, citing sources, that the EU recognizes the impossibility of overcoming Budapest’s veto on Ukraine’s accession.
Hungary’s stance
The Hungarian government has repeatedly stated that it will not allow Ukraine to join the EU hastily, arguing this would harm the European economy and risk direct armed conflict with Russia. At the EU summit in Brussels on June 26, Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked a joint statement in support of Ukraine, which would have opened the way to begin accession talks.
That same day, Hungary released the results of a referendum involving more than 2 million people, 95% of whom opposed Ukraine’s fast-tracked admission to the bloc. Orban said he would be guided by the will of Hungarian citizens in his discussions with European partners.
On August 30, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reiterated that Hungary would not allow the EU to open the main chapters of accession negotiations with Ukraine to prevent a hasty admission. He added that at a meeting with his EU counterparts in Copenhagen, he faced renewed pressure to accept Kiev’s accelerated accession to the Union.