The executive of the European Union wants to support Hungary to bolster the Eastern European country’s pipelines, storage and refining capacity, a spokesman said Tuesday, while budapest continues to criticize the Russian oil embargo.
Most EU countries are in favor of banning Russian oil as part of a new sixth sanctions package aimed at punishing Moscow for the war against Russia. Ukraine. However, unanimity is required for such a decision, with Hungary being the most critical country.
On Monday, during a dinner in Budapest, the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, and the president of the European Comission, Ursula von der Leyendiscussed investing in improving Hungarian oil infrastructure, a Hungarian spokesman said on Tuesday.
“What is extremely important … is that we maintain the unity of the European Union when it comes to sanctions against Russia, this is a collective effort,” the spokesman said, Eric Mammerat a press conference.
“We hope that the European Union can adopt the sanctions as soon as possible”.
Von der Leyen said that more work was needed to reach an agreement and that he would organize a debate on regional cooperation on oil infrastructure.
Mamer declined to say when that call would take place, adding that preparatory technical work was underway.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron, also spoke to Orban, the Elysee reported on Tuesday, with the French EU minister saying separately that a deal was possible this week. Envoys from EU member states are scheduled to meet on the matter in Brussels on Wednesday.
necessary work
The Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjartostated that the leaders’ dinner was “a small step forward”, but that much more work was needed.
“The passage of this sanctions package would ruin our energy security,” he said. “It would be impossible to buy enough oil to keep Hungary and the Hungarian economy going.”
“While the European Comission does not offer solutions to these problems, Hungary obviously cannot support this sanctions package… it would be like an atomic bomb dropped on the Hungarian economy.”
Orban said last week that Hungary needed “major investments” to modernize the country’s energy system. Some in the EU’s heartland, Brussels, made the link with the Commission, which criticizes Orban for undermining the rule of law, blocking Hungary’s access to billions of euros intended to help the EU’s economic recovery. Covid-19 pandemic.
The Commission has also recently launched an unprecedented sanction, the so-called conditionality mechanism, for the persistent slowness of Hungary’s anti-corruption measures. It could cost Hungary more EU funds, a major driver of its development.
“What the Government of Victor Orbán clearly looking for is extra money, a slowdown in the cross-compliance mechanism, or both,” the Eurointelligence think tank said.
Others fear that Orban, who has cultivated close personal ties with the Russian president Vladimir Putinseek to ingratiate himself with Moscow and can extend the debate until the next summit of national leaders of the EU, scheduled for May 30.
“That would already be a victory for Orban,” said an EU diplomat, unhappy that the disagreement exposes divisions within the bloc and fuels those who criticize him for ineffectiveness.