Hungary has officially lifted its 17-month veto that blocked the start of Ukraine’s Euro-integration process. This decision, made by the new Prime Minister Péter Mándy, allows for substantive negotiations regarding the membership of Ukraine and Moldova in the European Union, which will begin on June 15.
This is reported by Finway
Conditions for Lifting the Veto and Agreements
According to information, Budapest agreed to support Ukraine’s Euro-integration in exchange for signing a comprehensive agreement that includes the expansion of linguistic, educational, cultural, and political rights for the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia. This agreement was the result of prolonged negotiations between Ukraine, Hungary, and European institutions, with active participation from other EU countries that urged the new Hungarian government to lift the blockade.
Next Steps on the Path to the EU
At the first stage, Ukraine and Moldova must adapt their national legislation to EU standards within the first of six negotiation clusters, covering 33 key policy areas. Cyprus, which currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, announced that consultations regarding the formal opening of this cluster will continue in the coming days.
Cyprus’s Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Raouna called the start of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova a historic decision. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha expressed gratitude to Cyprus for its support and noted Hungary’s constructive approach, emphasizing a new phase in relations between Kyiv and Budapest.
“Ukraine and Moldova received candidate status for EU membership in June 2022. Unanimity among all member states is required for any decisions regarding the expansion of the bloc. In 2024, then-Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán set 11 conditions for unblocking the process — all related to the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia. The new Mándy government also insisted on meeting similar demands, negotiations on which began at the end of May.”
According to survey results, three-quarters of Ukrainians support the idea of EU membership, although less than half expect a swift accession of the country to the European bloc.