Anita Orban, Hungary’s new foreign minister, said on Monday, May 11, that Budapest would no longer use vetoes in the EU as a tool of “blackmail.”
According to Bloomberg, Orban made the remarks during her parliamentary confirmation hearing, pledging to rebuild trust with EU and NATO allies after years of tensions under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, to whom she is not related.
“Too often Hungary has been a problem in Europe’s decision-making,” she said. “We used the veto not as a last resort but for political theater.”
She said Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s government would prioritize restoring access to billions of euros in EU funding frozen over rule-of-law concerns.
She said the new government plans to strengthen judicial independence and improve oversight of public spending in order to regain Brussels’ trust.
Ukraine policy remains cautious
Despite the shift in tone toward the EU, Hungary’s new top diplomat said Budapest would support Ukraine’s closer integration into the bloc only where it aligns with Hungarian national interests.
She added that Budapest would continue demanding expanded rights for Ukraine’s ethnic Hungarian minority, echoing Magyar’s recent demands following his meeting with the mayor of a Hungarian-majority city in Ukraine.
Under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary repeatedly blocked or delayed major EU decisions, particularly those related to Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, and military or financial aid for Kyiv.
One of the latest disputes involved a €90 billion ($105 billion) EU loan package for Ukraine, which Budapest blocked for months before eventually lifting its veto in April after Kyiv announced repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline supplying Hungary and Slovakia.
Despite later passing the vital loan for Kyiv, Magyar has ruled out Budapest’s backing for Kyiv’s rapid EU accession after his election victory.