Politico: EU Is Considering 5 Options for Dealing with Hungary if Orban Wins

The EU is discussing plans of action in case Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s party wins the parliamentary elections, and five different options are being considered. This was reported by Politico, which spoke with 10 EU diplomats, according to European Pravda. One option is to extend the qualified majority vote to vulnerable areas that currently require unanimous support, such as foreign policy or specific elements of the EU’s long-term budget. “This is something we insist on in any case, regardless of the specific case (with Orban): if you want to react quickly, you need more decisions made by a qualified majority,” one of the sources commented. The second option, according to the four diplomats, is to move towards a “multi-speed Europe” format, which involves a greater use of flexible formats, from informal coalitions of willing countries to increased cooperation between smaller groups of countries. However, two other diplomats were critical of these limited formats, saying that they should be exceptions rather than the new norm. Another option is to impose more aggressive sanctions on Hungary, such as withholding EU funds. European Council President Antonio Costa expressed the opinion that Orban’s blocking of the loan for Ukraine violated Article 4 (3) of the EU Treaty, which requires member states to ensure “sincere cooperation”. A senior European Commission official noted that the application of Article 4 (3) is possible and would result in financial sanctions. The option of depriving Hungary of its voting rights in the EU Council is also being considered. However, suspending the voting rights of one country requires the support of the other 27 countries, and Slovakia will not agree to this. The most dramatic and least realistic option is the exclusion of Hungary. No country has ever been excluded from the EU, and the topic remains taboo. One diplomat pointed to a comment published on a legal blog that explores the possibility of reinterpreting the EU’s exit clause (Article 50, which the UK triggered when it began the Brexit process) or other legal workarounds to “kick Hungary out”. The diplomat noted that this is “unrealistic, but it’s a good argument”, adding that “a few years ago, people were discussing this scenario hypothetically, and now it’s gaining momentum again”.