Stefanishyna on opening of negotiations on EU membership: EU member states were ready to deprive Hungary of vote right

20:21, 15.12.2023 1 min read

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna says that if the situation with the decision to open negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union was more critical, the EU member states would be ready to deprive Hungary of the right to vote.

"The decision has been made [to open negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the EU]. But I want to say that even if the situation was more critical than it was yesterday, the EU member states, 26, would be ready to deprive Hungary of the right to vote. This is an official procedure, it has not been resorted to a single time, but it still exists. And I think this has also become an argument," Stefanishyna said on the air of the national telethon on Friday.

As reported, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in agreement with other members of the European Council, left the hall during the vote for the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine, which allowed a unanimous decision to be made.