Hungary blocks further steps in Ukraine’s accession to the EU and calls for the implementation of guarantees for the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia

The leadership in Budapest has once again blocked the advancement of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, asking Kyiv to first implement its commitments regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority. For the moment, the decision prevents the opening of the next stages of negotiations in Groups 2 and 3, concerning the internal market, competitiveness, and economic growth.

Budapest’s position was reconfirmed after European diplomats tried to persuade the Hungarian government to abandon its opposition. Hungary maintains that Ukraine must incorporate into its legislation the measures agreed upon for the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia, a region located in the west of the country. The commitments include protecting educational, cultural, linguistic, and political rights, as well as preserving and funding small schools in Hungarian communities.

Bilateral discussions resumed in May, and in June the two governments reportedly reached an agreement on the community’s rights. Budapest nevertheless considers that the concrete implementation of the provisions must precede any further progress in the accession negotiations. The position of the current Hungarian government differs from that of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who repeatedly opposed Ukraine’s accession to the EU and had previously blocked the process.