Based on a recent announcement by the Czech EU presidency, it seems that, contrary to previous fake news, it is not Hungary that is blackmailing the EU by vetoing aid to Ukraine, but that Brussels wants to handle the issue of the Hungarian recovery plan, joint borrowing and the global minimum tax under one roof.

"We are dealing with the Hungarian recovery plan, the 18 billion euro financial aid to Ukraine and the global minimum tax in one package: if there is no agreement on one issue, there is no agreement on the others"

- declared Zbynek Stanjura, the Czech Minister of Finance, who also represents the Czech Presidency of the EU. The politician spoke to the press after the meeting of the finance and economic ministers of the EU member states (Ecofin). This was the meeting after which the fake news that Hungary vetoed the Ukrainian aid ran through the opposition press.

Finance Minister Mihály Varga, who represented Hungary at the meeting, responded to 444's article on his social media page, highlighting that the Ukrainian aid issue was taken off the agenda by ECOFIN, so they could not even vote on it.

"What we decided on was the amendment of the budget regulation, where the proposal was about: in what form should the EU borrow?"

Varga added.

Later, Viktor Orbán called the reports about the veto fake news in an English-language Twitter message.

"Hungary is ready to provide financial assistance to Ukraine on a bilateral basis. No veto, no blackmail"

- wrote the prime minister.

"It is true that we want to convince the EU member states that the common EU debt is not a solution. If we continue down the road to the debt community, we won't be able to turn back."

added the prime minister.

Although Zbynek Stanjura emphasized that the Czech presidency is committed to finding a compromise, his statements are surprising because he also said that

"Ukraine urgently needs support, and the funds must reach the country, with the contribution of even 26 or 27 EU member states."

According to this, Ukraine needs the money quickly, but in this case, it is difficult to understand why this issue needs to be connected with two other matters of great importance in themselves.

Speaking to MTI

Mihály Varga also called it a dangerous precedent to assign the payment of EU funds to our country to completely unrelated matters.

According to the finance minister, several EU member states would make the approval of the Hungarian recovery plan dependent on the Hungarian government changing its position on various other issues.

Varga's words indicate that the matter of Ukrainian support may be delayed due to the connection of unrelated cases, and the Czech presidency has also asked the European Commission to issue an updated assessment that also covers the Hungarian government's recent legislative progress.

Valdis Dombrovskis, the vice-president of the European Commission, spoke on Tuesday about receiving the invitation from the finance ministers to prepare the evaluation. "Time is pressing, due to the amount of legislation in Hungarian it will be difficult to give a new assessment in a few days, but the Commission is participating constructively in the work and we will do what we can," he said.

Source: MTI / hirado.hu / 2022plusz

Featured image: Minister of Finance Mihály Varga talks with Magdalena Rzeczkowska from Poland and Bruno Le Maire from France at the beginning of the Ecofin meeting in Brussels on December 6, 2022 (Photo: MTI/EPA/Stephanie Lecocq)