Macron hosts Orban for dinner on Thursday night.
The European Union is in panic a week before a key summit that will important decisions regarding the future of Ukraine will be discussed. The panic itself is connected with Viktor Orban.
Politico writes about this.
As noted, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban has such a tough stance on Ukraine – and more – that diplomats and EU officials are trying to figure out what or who might change his mind.
However, French President Emmanuel Macron will try to change the opinion of Putin’s apostate, a man who is never shy about a diplomatic challenge.
Macron is hosting Orban for dinner on Thursday night and will try to reach a compromise ahead of a summit in Brussels next week. There, EU leaders are set to make a historic decision to bring Ukraine into the 27-nation club and conclude a key budget agreement that will throw a €50 billion lifeline to Kiev's war-torn economy.
“We don’t have time for games now. If we are in a situation where peace in Europe is under threat, then we must do everything possible every day and every hour to protect our people, and especially the people of Ukraine,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Bärbock.
However, Orbán threatens to disrupt the summit, making it clear in two letters to European Council President Charles Michel that he is in favor against accession negotiations with Kiev and at the same time wants to hold a strategic discussion about the bloc's support for Ukraine.
While Orban has previously held the bloc hostage, three senior EU diplomats admitted this time is different – the stakes are high, time is sensitive and Hungary's protest goes beyond a simple desire for more EU cash.
Michel, whose job it is to broker compromises between leaders, has already traveled to Budapest for discussions with Orbán and is also cutting short a trip to Beijing for the EU-China summit to continue the search for compromise.
“We have reached a point where it is an “optimistic” view to think Orban is simply asking for more money,” said a senior EU diplomat who remained anonymous.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels earlier this week, Hungary's Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Relations Zoltan Kovacs strongly rejected the idea that Orbán was taking a position to force the European Council to release billions of EU cash that remain blocked from -for legal issues from Budapest.
“Our position on Ukraine, our position on the revision of the MFF [long-term EU budget] and many other issues will remain despite what happens with the funds,” Kovacs said.
Diplomats disagree on whether the Hungarian leader is determined to undermine support for Ukraine, or whether he is “simply” trying to blackmail Brussels. While some diplomats and EU officials are already planning workarounds or trying to counter the negative press that will follow next week's disastrous European Council meeting, others remain optimistic that a way out will be found. Macron belongs to the latter group.
Recall that Orban’s party submitted a resolution to parliament against negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
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