Leaders may consider invoking the “nuclear option” of kicking Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán out of the EU voting process.
There’s a Hungarian saying for when things are not going well: “It is under the frog’s ass.” And things sure won’t go well for Hungary if it attempts to thwart European leaders when they meet next week to approve a vital €50 billion lifeline to Ukraine as it enters a third year of war with Russia.
After years of a softly-softly approach with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, this time European diplomats are giving signals that the “nuclear option” — kicking Budapest out of the EU voting process — is no longer unthinkable if he imperils the security of Ukraine, an EU candidate country.
If the EU were to use its so-called Article 7 — the most serious political sanction on a member country that involves suspending its right to vote on EU decisions — Orb´án really would be well and truly under the frog’s ass.
I don’t think Fico will veto that. Slovakia, and his governments, have been and still are very dependent on European money. He wouldn’t jeopardize that flow of money and this would put him and Slovakia in the crosshairs of the EU. Fico doesn’t care about Orban or Slovakia, he cares about Fico. And Fico needs EU funds to keep his cronies happy.