Tensions between Hungary and the European Union are reaching a boiling point as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán continues to block efforts to support Ukraine, raising the possibility that Hungary could be stripped of its EU voting rights.
Orbán, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has emerged as the EU’s most vocal dissenter in the bloc’s unified approach to aiding Ukraine. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Hungary has refused to send military support, vetoed funding packages, and obstructed joint statements of solidarity with Ukraine. Now, EU officials are considering triggering Article 7—a rarely used treaty clause that could suspend Hungary’s decision-making power within the union.
The flashpoint? A government-led campaign across Hungary portraying the EU and Ukraine as existential threats. Billboards have popped up showing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside EU figures like Ursula von der Leyen, casting them as villains trying to coerce Hungary into submission. The slogan reads, “Let’s not allow them to decide for us.”
At the center of the campaign is a public referendum asking Hungarians if they support Ukraine’s EU membership. Orbán has urged citizens to vote no, claiming, “We would have to spend all Hungary’s money on Ukraine.” He also warned that “cheap labor from Ukraine would take Hungarian jobs” and “epidemics could spread due to poor vaccination among migrants.”
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Critics say the government’s claims are baseless and designed to stoke fear. Former EU Commissioner László Andor stated, “Fidesz recognized the anti-war sentiment and has used and abused it to deny proper support to Ukraine.”
Orbán’s obstructionism isn’t just rhetorical. Hungary recently vetoed the release of €6 billion in EU funds meant to reimburse countries arming Ukraine. It has also repeatedly delayed sanctions on Russia—though it eventually relented. The next major showdown is set for July 31, when Hungary could block the renewal of sanctions that include freezing €210 billion in Russian assets used to support Ukraine.
European lawmakers are growing restless. Dutch MEP Tineke Strik, leading the European Parliament’s efforts on Hungary’s democratic backsliding, said bluntly, “Member states really are getting fed up with Orbán.” She estimates that 19 governments are willing to move forward with Article 7, but they still “lack a strategy on how to get the rest of the member states on board.”
Even if Hungary’s voting rights aren’t officially revoked, EU diplomats are quietly preparing workarounds to bypass Budapest’s vetoes. As one senior official put it, “If the past is predictive, we should be OK. But it would be foolish to assume that.”
As Orbán doubles down on his anti-EU messaging and pro-Russia stance, the EU faces a defining moment. Does it stand united in defense of Ukraine—or allow one member to undermine the entire bloc?
Whatever path is taken, Hungary’s position is no longer a domestic dispute. It’s “a test of the EU’s unity, resolve, and future.”
