Hungary Blocks Ukraine’s EU Accession Talks: A Realistic Path Amid Political Challenges
The opening of new negotiating clusters between Ukraine and the European Union remains significantly hindered by Hungary’s veto, complicating Kyiv’s path towards deeper integration within the EU.
According to sources, even after Ukraine has fulfilled all necessary requirements, political developments in Budapest and the upcoming parliamentary elections in April 2026—where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s party is expected to lose power—prevent the initiation of new negotiations.
Currently, mechanisms to bypass the Hungarian veto do not exist, as decisions on opening negotiation clusters require unanimous approval from all member states, making any progress dependent on political changes in Hungary.Analysts suggest that the most realistic scenario at present is to continue technical preparations, which would enable rapid activation of negotiation clusters immediately after political shifts in Budapest.
This would allow Ukraine to quickly proceed with legal and technical procedures for membership.
Additionally, there are ongoing attempts within the EU to find legal pathways to circumvent the veto, but these efforts have yet to yield results, keeping the situation tense and uncertain.On the political front, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, responding to President Zelensky’s recent statement about Hungary’s ‘strange’ position regarding Ukraine’s EU accession, emphasized that negotiations are inherently political, despite formal declarations of merit-based progress.
He pointed out that Hungary and other member states aim for consensus not only based on legal formalities but also on political will.
The first screening of Ukraine’s legislation is scheduled for September 29, after which several technical steps are expected, potentially taking about a week.
Without Hungary’s veto, the process of opening clusters would proceed much faster.Overall, Hungary’s stance on Ukraine—while politically aligned with the broader European enlargement priorities—aims to protect its own geopolitical interests, complicating Ukraine’s European integration process and highlighting the broader political dynamics within the EU.