The European Union is preparing to begin technical work to advance Ukraine’s and Moldova’s bid to join the bloc, even as Hungary continues to block their accession.
According to Politico and the Financial Times, which cited sources familiar with the plan, the European Commission has proposed changing the rules for accession negotiations to work around Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s veto.
European Council President António Costa is promoting a plan that would let negotiation “clusters” open with a qualified majority vote rather than waiting for unanimous approval from all 27 members. Closing the clusters would still require unanimity.
The idea is to allow Ukraine and Moldova to show progress in reforms and alignment with EU standards, even if one or two countries hold out. EU leaders will debate the plan at a meeting in Copenhagen on Oct. 1, joined by representatives from neighboring states.
Ukraine applied to join the EU in 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion, and Moldova followed soon after. Both countries officially began accession talks last year, but Hungary has blocked progress, including the opening of negotiation clusters.
Though the EU has ruled out fast-tracking Kyiv’s entry, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has praised Ukraine’s reform efforts during wartime.
Orbán has been a vocal opponent of Ukraine’s EU bid and has a history of blaming Kyiv for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, echoing Kremlin propaganda.
Hungary has claimed it’s concerned about the treatment of Hungarian minorities in western Ukraine.
However, many European officials believe Orbán is simply using the veto as leverage.
Though Hungary agreed to open talks in late 2023 after the EU unfroze €10 billion in funds previously withheld over rule-of-law concerns, Orbán decided to hold a “national consultation” on Ukraine’s membership.
After two million Hungarians took part in the poll, Orbán declared a “people’s mandate,” claiming there was 95% opposition to Ukraine’s EU membership aspirations.
“The Hungarian people have spoken: 95% said NO to dragging Ukraine into the EU!” he posted on the X platform on Thursday, June 26.
The number of votes represents approximately one-fifth of Hungary’s population of almost 10 million. Orbán touted the claimed result as the voice of the people.
“They said NO to war, NO to economic ruin, and NO to Brussels’ delusions. With over 2 million votes cast, we’re taking our people’s mandate for peace and common sense to Brussels.”
Ukraine’s foreign ministry dismissed the ‘Voks 2025’ poll in a statement as “anti-Ukrainian hysteria” and said most Hungarians are “capable of recognizing this primitive manipulation.”