The Hungarian Prime Minister claims he had no part in this decision. He can also boast of having blocked financial assistance of 50 billion euros intended to keep the Ukrainian state afloat for four years. Viktor Orban took great pleasure in occupying the front of the stage, multiplying interviews before the meeting in Brussels and punctuating the two days of meeting with video messages broadcast on social networks.
In reality, the strong man of Budapest is far from having won the game. The Europeans were able to show creativity in neutralizing it. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said to have been inspired by old tactics from his years among Germany’s young socialists, came up with a stratagem that allowed him to get around his objections without losing face. On his advice, Viktor Orban opportunely left the European Council room, time for the 26 others to give the green light to accession negotiations by consensus. He is free to then make media noise. In any case, he did not block with a veto.
Furthermore, the 26 have already announced that they are ready from January to once again show inventiveness to bring together the billions intended for kyiv. The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, warned that her services would work on “potential alternatives” in order to have a solution in place if an agreement at 27 and the use of the European budget is not possible. Hungary or not, Ukraine will have the funds it needs.
All of this can seem imperfect, fragile and a bit cobbled together. Except that once again, the European Union has passed an obstacle, it has shown that it is more flexible and resilient than its rigid rules often lead us to believe. Even before the meeting, a highly placed source deciphered: “We have to go through moments of drama, a peak where everything seems to fall apart at times. But if we keep our nerves and a cooperative spirit, we will get there.”
The Europeans did indeed give the feeling of playing a balancing act, but at the end of their meeting, there was a result for the Ukrainians, even if it will have to be confirmed at the start of the year. That was the main thing in mid-December. Yes, European support for Ukraine may seem like it is hanging by a few threads, but ultimately He is always there. And after all, is the opposite camp any more solid, one that only holds together by the will of one man?