Hungary Says Ukraine Should Join EU After Balkans
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto asserts that the European Union should place greater emphasis on the accession of Western Balkan countries rather than focusing on Ukraine. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Budapest has criticized the bloc’s inconsistent approach to membership
Ukrainian accession to the EU should be delayed until Western Balkan nations are granted membership, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. He emphasized that allowing Ukraine to join before these countries would undermine the merit-based integration process, noting that some Western Balkan nations have been waiting for nearly 20 years for their accession efforts to be addressed.
During his speech at the Budapest Balkans Forum on Thursday, Szijjarto remarked that the EU is currently facing a "much worse situation than before" amid ongoing economic and security challenges. He condemned the protracted wait for Western Balkan countries and accused certain EU members of hypocrisy, claiming they publicly support enlargement while secretly obstructing it.
“When the real question needs to be discussed, when it’s no longer just communication, propaganda, and empty rhetoric, then they oppose enlargement,” Szijjarto stated, as reported by local media.
To attain membership, all candidate countries must meet identical criteria and complete the same procedural steps. Presently, the European Council recognizes nine candidate nations, which include candidates from the Western Balkans, as well as Ukraine, Moldova, Türkiye, and Georgia.
Five nations from the Western Balkans—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia—hold official EU candidate status.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led the EU to reconsider its enlargement policy, resulting in the resumption of accession discussions with North Macedonia and Albania, alongside granting candidate status to Bosnia. EU leaders, including Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, have cautioned that delays might increase the vulnerability of Balkan states to Russian and Chinese influence.
Ukraine submitted its EU membership application in February 2022, just after the intensification of its conflict with Russia. It was awarded candidate status in June 2022.
Nonetheless, Ukraine faces numerous challenges on its path to membership, as full accession requires the unanimous consent of all EU member states. Moreover, the EU has insisted that Ukraine undertake extensive governance reforms, tackle widespread corruption, and align its legislation with EU law.
While EU officials have not provided a clear timeline for Ukraine’s accession, former European Council President Charles Michel indicated that Ukraine could potentially join by 2030 if it meets all requisite conditions.
Hungary has consistently warned that rapid Ukrainian membership could adversely affect the bloc’s economic stability. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban described the prospect of admitting Ukraine into the EU as an “unthinkable” act earlier this year.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
Ukrainian accession to the EU should be delayed until Western Balkan nations are granted membership, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. He emphasized that allowing Ukraine to join before these countries would undermine the merit-based integration process, noting that some Western Balkan nations have been waiting for nearly 20 years for their accession efforts to be addressed.
During his speech at the Budapest Balkans Forum on Thursday, Szijjarto remarked that the EU is currently facing a "much worse situation than before" amid ongoing economic and security challenges. He condemned the protracted wait for Western Balkan countries and accused certain EU members of hypocrisy, claiming they publicly support enlargement while secretly obstructing it.
“When the real question needs to be discussed, when it’s no longer just communication, propaganda, and empty rhetoric, then they oppose enlargement,” Szijjarto stated, as reported by local media.
To attain membership, all candidate countries must meet identical criteria and complete the same procedural steps. Presently, the European Council recognizes nine candidate nations, which include candidates from the Western Balkans, as well as Ukraine, Moldova, Türkiye, and Georgia.
Five nations from the Western Balkans—Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia—hold official EU candidate status.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led the EU to reconsider its enlargement policy, resulting in the resumption of accession discussions with North Macedonia and Albania, alongside granting candidate status to Bosnia. EU leaders, including Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, have cautioned that delays might increase the vulnerability of Balkan states to Russian and Chinese influence.
Ukraine submitted its EU membership application in February 2022, just after the intensification of its conflict with Russia. It was awarded candidate status in June 2022.
Nonetheless, Ukraine faces numerous challenges on its path to membership, as full accession requires the unanimous consent of all EU member states. Moreover, the EU has insisted that Ukraine undertake extensive governance reforms, tackle widespread corruption, and align its legislation with EU law.
While EU officials have not provided a clear timeline for Ukraine’s accession, former European Council President Charles Michel indicated that Ukraine could potentially join by 2030 if it meets all requisite conditions.
Hungary has consistently warned that rapid Ukrainian membership could adversely affect the bloc’s economic stability. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban described the prospect of admitting Ukraine into the EU as an “unthinkable” act earlier this year.
Jessica Kline for TROIB News
