Tim Ireland / EPA
O presidente da Ucrânia, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The end of Viktor Orbán’s reign at the helm of Hungary unlocks fundamental negotiation processes, paving the way for Ukraine and Moldova to become members of the European Union.
A Ukraine ea Moldavia can now move forward with the EU accession process, following the expressive statement of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, putting an end to a four-year impasse over their candidacies, say diplomats and European officials cited by .
The two countries, which were initially granted candidate status in 2022, see their path to membership delayedafter Orbán vetoed the formal opening of the trading “clusters” — the sets of reforms and commitments that candidate countries must implement before joining.
These discussions are expected to begin soonnamed four EU officials and diplomats with knowledge of the negotiations, on condition of anonymity.
After the EU finally got 90 billion euros from Ukraine, “now it’s time to look ahead” for the “next step”, which is the application for EU membership, declared the president of the European Council, Antonio Costaupon arrival at a summit of European leaders in Cyprus, on Thursday, after talks with the president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
O first legal step on Kiev’s path to EU membership, the opening of the first “cluster”, is being blocked by Hungary for yearsbut may finally move forward with one, officials said.
Ukraine anticipates opening its clusters in the “next few weeks”, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister told Politico Taras Kachkain a video call.
Kachka, who is in charge of Kiev’s membership bid, said he had in mind the meeting of European Affairs ministers, the May 26th, as a goal for the opening of the first trading “cluster”.
Although Brussels and Kiev are already negotiating informallythe decision to officially move forward must be taken unanimously by the 27 EU governments — and Hungary has, until now, blocked progress.
Orbán will hand over power next month to the opposition leader Péter Hungarianwhich stated not support an “accelerated” entry by Kievbut will not oppose compliance with the usual process. Budapest will “accept countries that are prepared to join, rather than making them wait in linea, because that would not be in the interests of the European people”, declared Magyar.
This process takes several yearsand requires the implementation of comprehensive reforms. No country has completed it since Croatia’s accession to the EU in 2013.
The process of Portugal’s accession to the EECpredecessor of the EU, took a little less time than 9 yearsbetween the request for accession, on March 28, 1977, during the government of Mário Soares, and the official entry, on January 1, 1986, together with Spain, which illustrates well the complexity and slowness of this type of negotiation.
