Culture Society, Identity and Belonging
EU leaders have approved the European Commission’s recommendation to open accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova with 26 votes in favour and one abstention, after Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán left the room before the others voted. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky called the EU’s decision a victory for Ukraine and “all of Europe”, congratulating Moldova’s Maya Sandu as well. Before the vote, a €10 billion package for Hungary was unblocked as forecast having been withheld because of Orbán’s assault on the rule of law, but he still used his veto to delay the accession talks announcement for eight hours. Eventually Germany’s Olaf Scholz told him in front of the other leaders that, if unwilling to agree, he could leave the room so a unanimous decision could be taken in his absence. Last night Orbán used his veto again to block the EU’s €50 billion aid package for Ukraine, which is critical to sustain what is becoming a defensive action against the Russian invasion. The US is also dragging its feet on the aid for Ukraine. The EU’s Charles Michel promised to get back to this issue “early next year”.