Denmark Because of Ukraine: Hungary blocks declaration on EU enlargement
Hungary is blocking the European Union's annual position on the enlargement process because of its rejection of EU accession talks with Ukraine.
16.12.2025, 16:06
SDA
According to the current Danish EU Council Presidency, the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban does not want to support a positive assessment of developments in Ukraine. However, this is also not to be deleted because it is supported by all other EU states.
"26 member states show strong support for Ukraine, and Ukraine delivers," explained Danish Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre on the sidelines of EU consultations in Brussels. The wording on Ukraine was fair and appropriate. The German Minister of State for Europe, Gunther Krichbaum, criticized Hungary's behaviour as "increasingly destructive" and accused the government in Budapest of slowing down the EU.
For Ukraine, Hungary's veto means that it can no longer hope for formal rounds of negotiations on its planned EU accession. However, Danish Minister Bjerre emphasized that the accession process is nevertheless progressing because work is already being done informally.
"This means that Ukraine is being given concrete guidelines on how it should implement reforms, what it should deliver and what results most member states expect from the country," said the Dane. This means that the country could make progress very quickly if Hungary were to give up its veto at some point.
Elections in Hungary
The current Hungarian government justifies its rejection of Ukrainian accession to the EU with the country's large financial requirements and the accusation that a Hungarian minority in Ukraine is being disadvantaged. During the current election campaign in his country, Orban also warned that EU accession could destroy the Hungarian economy. The blockade is therefore not expected to be lifted until after the elections in Hungary next spring at the earliest.
In addition to the text on Ukraine, the EU declaration on the enlargement process should have included a position on the progress and setbacks of the six partners in the Western Balkans as well as Turkey, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia. According to the latest analysis by the EU Commission, Montenegro is furthest along in the EU accession process. The country is certified as being able to conclude the accession negotiations by the end of 2026 if it maintains the pace of reform. For Albania, the conclusion of accession negotiations by the end of 2027 is considered possible.
