How EU maneuvers around Hungary’s veto to keep Ukraine’s accession on track

The author of the Resurgam channel offers a media-focused take on the European Council Summit, describing it as filled with "disappointments," though none unexpected. As a result, many were preemptively managed.

Hungary blocked the start of Ukraine’s EU negotiation clusters. Surprisingly, Ukrainian diplomacy remained largely silent on the matter. This reaction, or lack thereof, is explained by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s statement:

“Under relentless fire, Ukraine is passing reform after reform. This is why the Commission defends the opening of the first cluster of negotiation. Ukraine has delivered – now we must too.”

While formally, negotiation clusters require unanimous approval by the EU Council, the European Commission oversees the technical aspects: screening, implementation, and compliance.

So, although the clusters haven't been opened de jure, von der Leyen's speech signals that the Commission will proceed with Ukraine as if they were. When political approval eventually comes, the groundwork will already be in place, allowing swift formal adoption.

In practical terms, nothing prevents Ukraine from beginning reforms aligned with the clusters now, if the Commission provides the necessary legal, political, and technical tools to close them quickly later.

Brussels is essentially playing a waiting game: it expects Hungary’s next parliamentary elections in April 2026 to bring a new government. Until then, attempts to override Budapest are considered politically risky for two main reasons:

1. The procedure to strip Hungary of voting rights is slow and can be blocked by allies like Slovakia or Poland.
2. Such a move might backfire, reinforcing Viktor Orbán’s narrative that “Brussels is attacking Hungarian sovereignty.”

Hungary also vetoed the 18th sanctions package — an expected move, as both Hungary and Slovakia had warned they wouldn’t support it. Interestingly, 26 of the 27 EU countries backed the package; Slovakia claimed a "delay in decision" rather than an outright veto.

Still, the European Commission earlier made a significant move: using trade rules, it bypassed unanimity to phase out Russian energy. That decision remains unaffected.

Another intriguing development involves Slovakia. The European Anti-Fraud Office has filed over 300 complaints with the European Prosecutor’s Office regarding misuse of EU funds. Audits found violations in 77 of Slovakia’s 79 districts. This could lead to blocked funding or even criminal cases, especially damaging given Slovakia’s severe budget deficit.

Meanwhile, the EU unanimously extended existing sanctions against Russia for another six months. Though Orbán and Foreign Minister Szijjártó had promised to block them, the extension passed quietly.

Throughout the summit, a pattern emerged: Hungary and Slovakia appear to be coordinating a balancing act. Each blocks only one decision — Hungary the Ukraine clusters, Slovakia the sanctions package. This muddles outcomes while avoiding the stigma of sabotaging the summit alone. Yet both still supported the continuation of general sanctions, stopping short of provoking a full-blown crisis.