Orban threatens to block new EU budget unless frozen funds for Hungary are released
global.espreso.tv
Sun, 27 Jul 2025 17:37:00 +0300

He made the announcement during a speech at a summer university in the Romanian town of Băile Tuşnad, Euractiv reports.According to Orban, the approval of the EU's long-term budget for the period 2028-2034 is possible only with full unanimity of member states, and Hungary will use its veto power if it does not receive the suspended payments."Until we get the remaining (frozen) funds, there won't be a new EU budget either" he said.The European Union has suspended billions of euros in aid to Hungary over allegations of violations of the rule of law, restrictions on LGBTQ rights and media freedoms. This is not the first time Orban has been at the centre of a row with Brussels, with his increasingly confrontational stance.The EU Commission has proposed a €2 trillion budget focused on strengthening the defence sector and making the economy more competitive. Hungary, however, is threatening to block the plan amid financial pressure.The Prime Minister has also criticised the EU's policy towards Ukraine, accusing Brussels of trying to influence the political situation in Hungary ahead of the elections and of allegedly "pro-Ukraine and pro-Brussels government".He also accused EU leaders of risking a trade war with US President Donald Trump's administration that Europe "cannot win."He concluded by calling for a renewal of the EU's political leadership, noting that Europe needs a "new political generation."Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán voiced his hypothesis that most EU countries would vote against Ukraine's accession to the bloc if "nationwide referendums" were held on the matter, as was recently the case in Hungary.
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