Original Financial Times article (behind paywall)

The European Union will sabotage Hungary’s economy if Budapest blocks fresh aid to Ukraine at a summit this week, under a confidential plan drawn up by Brussels, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

Brussels has outlined a strategy to explicitly target Hungary’s economic weaknesses, imperil its currency and drive a collapse in investor confidence in a bid to hurt “jobs and growth” if Budapest refuses to lift its veto on the aid to Kyiv, the newspaper reported, citing a document drawn up by EU officials.

Notorious for many bitter feuds with the EU during his 13 years in power, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has become a vocal critic of the bloc’s support for Ukraine and boasted about his ties with the Kremlin since Russia went to war in Ukraine in February 2022.

The document seen by FT declares that “in the case of no agreement in the February 1 [summit], other heads of state and government would publicly declare that in the light of the unconstructive behaviour of the Hungarian PM . . . they cannot imagine that” EU funds would be provided to Budapest.

  • froggers@lemmy.worldEnglish
    24·
    5 months ago

    Whatever the EU does will help Orban. So why not try this approach? Hell Orban is already doing half the work, making sure the country’s economy goes down the shitter.

    Just accept the fact that no matter what the EU does, Orban will stay popular. The brain of the average Hungarian voter is mush anyways.

    • taladar@feddit.deEnglish
      11·
      5 months ago

      The brain of the average Hungarian voter is mush anyways.

      Sometimes i wonder if that is a regional culture thing in that part of Europe considering the kind of people Austria and Bavaria vote for in large numbers too.