Orban wants to keep relations with Moscow as intact as possible.
(Photo: dpa)
It takes a special perspective to see Brussels and the EU sanctions policy as the main culprits for the high energy prices these days, and not Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war of aggression in Ukraine. Viktor Orban, who has just been confirmed as Hungarian prime minister, is nevertheless undeterred in this position
With his blocking of the already flawed planned oil embargo against Russia, Orban is undermining the unity of the EU sanctions policy. That plays into the hands of Vladimir Putin, who hopes for a split in Europe.
True, Hungary is particularly dependent on Russian oil right now, and an embargo would have far more serious consequences for the country than for many others. That is why compensation payments are rightly being talked about. But Orban’s rhetoric shows that it’s not just that.
Other states bear the costs associated with the sanctions policy, also in the basic conviction that joint sanctions in combination with arms deliveries show the Kremlin how expensive a war in Ukraine is for Russia in the long term. But Orban, who promised during the election campaign not to let Hungary suffer from the Ukraine war, does not share this sense of responsibility. He wants to keep Moscow warm.
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Further exceptions to the already holey oil sanctions would weaken the package
With his recent appointments to the foreign and defense departments after his confirmation in office, he had already shown that he continues to rely on his top politicians who are close to Russia. Orban deeply distrusts Brussels.
In the medium term, in order to remain able to act, the EU must move away from the unanimity principle in the Council of 27 member states – especially when further enlargement is imminent.
In the short term, pressure from other Eastern European states on Orban, coupled with compensation payments, could ensure that the sixth sanctions package comes after all – without further weakening it with too many exceptions.
More: Customs proposes embargo – The EU should make Russian oil more expensive instead of sanctioning it