After having agreed to provide Ukraine a €90 billion EU loan package, officials in Budapest have said on Friday they plan to veto the deal unless Russian oil starts flowing back to Hungary.
Does Hungary still meet all the requirements for being an EU member? Like, if they weren’t already in, and applied to join today, would they be allowed in? Is it possible to kick them out?
No they would not meet the requirements. Probably Poland would not as well.
What’s happening in Poland?
It would be possible to suspend their voting rights if all other countries agreed, but there’s always at least one other country with a prime minister dreaming of being the next Orban.
Unbelievably there is no way to expell a member state
Elections in Hungary are on 12 April 2026. Mark that date. Hopefully, then, one less problem for Europe and Ukraine.
Orban is polling at 103% of the vote though. Hungarians love him!
On a serious note, will there be independent vote counting?
Afaik, they’re doing about the same as republicans do in some states. Things like gerrymandering and threatening opposition members.
No, the law they write let’s them get away with worse stuff. Like using tax money to campaign.
They also do full illegal shit, like extorting the lowest class to vote for them, otherwise they lose their government subsidized jobs (like cleaning the streets). I’ve heard of instances, where they even give money in exchange for the vote.
Oh, that’s crazy. How do they enforce that? Can they see who people vote for?
No, not really. It’s mostly a numbers game.
My sister was a vote counting volunteer in '22 and she told me that there were drunk people asking her to remind them who they need to vote for. Illiterate people asking which on is Fidesz. Nasty, nasty stuff.
It’s still not outright Belorussia or Russia… I don’t think Fidesz can bag the supermajority this time around with their usual tricks, but even so, the situation looks grim.
And yet his Fidesz is polling 10 percent-point behind opposition Tisza.
All Magyar has to do is get with the times and promise to release the sex tape if he wins.
I think the long term solution to the Hungarian problem along many others is a political European union in addition to the economic one.
Magyar is better than Orban but not much. So, don’t get your hopes up.
The EU must change the rules…
It is only a loan if Ukraine wins and receives Russian war reparations. Otherwise Ukraine doesn’t have to pay it back.
This is more than a loan. This is an indirect commitment of the EU to not only expell Russia from Ukraine but to beat it so that the loans are repaid.
mr. Orban pulling a last one before he leaves office 😆
