Viktor Orbán takes a tough stand against Ukraine’s accession to the EU
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Orbán said neither Hungarians living in Ukraine or those in Hungary wanted more than for Ukraine’s minorities to regain the rights they had enjoyed before 2015. “We’re not asking for a new law, new solutions or complex procedures; all we ask is the restoration of the law that guaranteed Hungarians’ rights … to community life,” the prime minister said.
Talks with Ukraine on possible EU membership “right now are absurd, ridiculous and unserious”, and the government will not support them, Orbán said.
Right now no one knows what Ukraine’s accession would entail or how much territory or population would be integrated into the bloc, he said.
He noted that the bloc opening accession talks with a country at war was unprecedented.
Orbán said that when the EU partially opened up its market, member states had been forced on the defensive in the areas of agriculture and transport. “Tens or even hundreds of thousands of Hungarians could go bankrupt because of this,” he said.
The country’s accession would mean handing over 17 percent of the current EU budget, he added.
Citing estimates by German analysts, Orbán said Ukraine’s EU membership would cost the bloc an additional EUR 190 billion.
Ukraine would be entitled to 93 billion euros of agricultural funding from the seven-year budget, Orbán said, noting this was more than what France, the largest CAP money recipient, receives now and ten times as much as what Hungary gets.
“A large chunk of this money would make its way into the pockets of Americans, given the way the Americans have bought their way in to Ukraine’s farm sector up to their jugulars,” Orbán said. The start of accession talks would therefore mean that every member state, besides Ukraine, would become a net contributor or would lose 20 percent of their agricultural funding, he added.
Considering that the US provides at least half of all aid that has gone to Ukraine what right does Orban have to begrudge the possibility that some EU funding to Ukraine might benefit an American company that has interests in the Ukrainian agricultural sector? The US bankrolled the recovery of Western Europe following WWII with the Marshall Plan. It spent billions over decades providing for the security of Europe from the Russia and the Warsaw Pact. It continues to spend billions contributing to NATO in Europe and has supported Ukraine more than anyone. The adjective that most accurately describes Orban is not fit to print.
The funny bit – “the money” Mr. Orbán always references is EU money, funded by the CONTRIBUTORS (including certain non-Members). We are a RECIPIENT and have been, from the moment of joining:
https://www.statista.com/chart/18794/net-contributors-to-eu-budget/
I assume from their banter that our Politicians would propose to leave, as soon a Hungary becomes a contributor?