Hungary will no longer use the veto power in European Union policy as a tool of blackmail and will work to restore the trust of EU and NATO partners.
This was stated by the new Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Orban, Bloomberg reports.
"Too often, Hungary has been a problem in decision-making in Europe. We have used the veto not as a last resort, but for the sake of political theater," she said during parliamentary confirmation hearings.
The minister added that Prime Minister Péter Magyarʼs priority will be to restore access to tens of billions of euros in EU funding, which was suspended under the previous government due to concerns about the rule of law.
Ahead of last month’s election, in which Magyar’s “Tisza” party won a landslide victory, Viktor Orban’s government used its veto power to block budget changes that would have allowed for a €90 billion EU loan to support Ukraine in its war against Russia. Politico reported that Hungary is demanding a €16 billion EU loan for Hungary in exchange for lifting the veto.
Restoring EU funds was one of “Tisza” key campaign promises and is central to plans to revive an economy that has seen little growth for three years. Anita Orbán has said the government will strengthen the independence of the judiciary and improve control over public spending to achieve this goal.
According to her, Hungary will support closer integration of Ukraine into the EU only out of “strict national interest”. She also added that the new government will continue the policies of its predecessors and demand additional rights for the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
- On April 12, the opposition “Tisza” party, led by Magyar, won the parliamentary elections in Hungary, winning 138 out of 199 seats. Former Prime Minister Viktor Orban admitted defeat in a speech at the time, calling the election result painful but obvious.
- On May 9, the leader of the “Tisza” party Péter Magyar officially became the Prime Minister of Hungary.
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