The time has come for the EU to remove individual member states’ veto power on the bloc’s foreign policy decisions, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has insisted.
Von der Leyen issued the call less than 24 hours after her long-time opponent, former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, lost power in a general election to the pro-EU Tisza party led by Peter Magyar.
Orban, who is a staunch critic of Brussels, used the unanimity requirement to stall numerous EU policies during his time in office. In recent months, Budapest has been vetoing the bloc’s €90 billion ($105 billion) emergency loan for Ukraine, citing Kiev’s reluctance to resume supply of Russian oil to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline.
Von der Leyen insisted on Monday that “moving to qualified majority voting in foreign policy is an important way to avoid systemic blockages, as we have seen in the past.”
The European Commission head has long been trying to force through a series of fundamental changes to EU rules in order to create a two-tier bloc, into which Ukraine could be integrated despite not meeting the usual requirement for member states.
The EU should “use the momentum now” from the defeat of Orban, who staunchly opposed EU accession for Kiev, to make the changes to its regulations and put an end to the veto rule in international relations, she insisted.
Von der Leyen welcomed Magyar’s victory, saying that Brussels will engage with his government “from day one.”
“There is much work to be done as Hungary returns to the European path,” she cautioned.
According to Von der Leyen, the mindset of the commission regarding Magyar is “let’s double down on him. If they deliver, we deliver.”
Brussels is currently withholding €35 billion in EU funds for Hungary over disagreement with Orban on Ukraine, migration, LGBTQ rights, and other issues.
EU diplomats told the Financial Times that the bloc expects Magyar to unblock the €90 billion loan to Kiev and reverse some of his predecessor’s key policies in order to mend ties between Budapest and Brussels.
The Tisza party leader said on Monday he is not intending to veto funds for Kiev, but added that Budapest will not participate in the EU loan due to financial difficulties.
Magyar also criticized the idea of accelerated Ukrainian accession to the EU, while insisting on continuing energy cooperation with Russia. Hungary “will procure crude oil and gas in the cheapest and safest way possible,” he explained.
Moscow said it is open to building “friendly [and] mutually beneficial relations” with the new authorities in Budapest.