EU's von der Leyen eyeing 'alternatives' amid Hungary veto

Brussels [Belgium], December 17: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday that she believes a way out of the EU budget dispute with Hungary is possible without agreement from Budapest.
Hungary used its veto during an EU summit in Brussels to prevent a deal on funding for Ukraine, as well as on the EU's overall budget.
"We are working very hard, of course, to have a result where there is an agreement of 27 member states," von der Leyen said.
"But I think it is now also necessary to work on potential alternatives to have an operational solution in case that an agreement by 27 so unanimity is not possible," she said after a two-day summit in Brussels.
Orban for his part has linked the EU budget negotiations - including new aid for Ukraine amounting to €50 ($54.72bn) - with the disbursement of frozen EU funds for his country.
"The fact that they want to change the [European] Union's seven-year budget law is an excellent chance for Hungary to get the rest of the withheld funds," Orban said in an interview with Hungary's state television and radio in Brussels on Friday.
"We have to get not half, not a quarter, but all of it," Orban said. "We are entitled to this money." Around €21bn in EU funds for Hungary is currently still frozen. The European Commission released €10bn of the blocked sum one day before the EU summit on the grounds that Hungary had implemented the judicial reforms required for this.
Members of the European Parliament had criticized the decision as unjustified and accused the European Commission headed by von der Leyen of allowing itself to be blackmailed.
Orban also pointed out on Friday that no decision had yet been made regarding Ukraine's accession to the EU.
Hungary still has "75 opportunities to stop this process," he said. Like all national parliaments, Hungary's would also have to ratify Ukraine's accession to the EU.
"If we don't want Ukraine to become a member of the European Union, then the Hungarian parliament will vote against it," said Orban.
According to Ursula von der Leyen, the agreements reached during the high-level discussion on the EU budget address the concerns of the Member States related to their national budgetary constraints. The agreement includes redeployments and reprioritisation alongside new funding, which requires "tough choices" from the EU and its Member States.
Source: Qatar Tribune