Good Morning. In the Mared Gwyn with the last newsletter of the week.
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As the behind-the-scenes flurry to defuse the ongoing dispute over the transit of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia continues, two Baltic heads of government have told Europe Today of their dismay at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban‘s back-to-back vetoes on measures of support for Kyiv.
Orbán continues to block fresh sanctions on Russia and a €90 billion loan to Ukraine, after blaming Kyiv for the disrupted supply of Russian oil through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged in a Russian attack on Ukraine in January.
The Hungarian leader did signal something willingness to defuse tensions on Thursday in a letter to European Council President António Costa, calling for a fact-finding mission to the site of the damage and acknowledging the “political difficulties” caused by his back-to-back vetoes. We have more on that letter in our top story below.
But Orbán’s power play has dismayed left leaders.
“It’s unbelievable and unacceptable,” Lithuania’s Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė told Europe Today. “When you live on the border of the European Union, when you are faced every day with threats (…) to hear such words and decisions, it’s nonsense.”
She added that it’s “silly thinking” that Orbán underestimates the threat Putin poses to the entire NATO Alliance. “If Russia steps into the European Union, they will go further. We as Lithuania have big experience from Soviet Union times. We know how it feels when Russia comes to your country.”
“We need to deliver this €90 billion we decided, and to be honest, when we decided, everybody was in the room. Orbán was in the room,” Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal told Europe Todayreferring to the December decision to provide Kyiv with the €90 billion loan while granting the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia with a special exemption from financial contributions.
“I don’t understand Viktor Orbán’s position (…) nobody understands this position, to have this idea that we should ask for European security from a dictator, from Russia,” Michal added, saying that the upcoming Hungarian election in Hungary could be a “gamechanger.” Watch.
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has also penned a letter to Council President António Costa, pitching a non-paper on how to boost Europe’s competitiveness in a sustainable and inclusive way.
Sánchez was closed out of a meeting convened by the German, Italian and Belgian leaders on the sidelines of a recent summit dedicated to competitiveness, and his government is increasingly positioning itself as a progressive counter-balance to the political currents dominating European politics.
The non-paper includes ten proposals, including keeping up the pace on decarbonization, strengthening European financial autonomy and reducing reliance on non-European technology, as Sánchez leads the European charge against the dominance of US tech giants.
The EU is aiming to pin down specific measures to bolster its waning competitiveness faced with aggressive global competition by the summer.
Orbán proposes ‘fact-finding mission’ to Druzhba pipeline, admits ‘difficulties’ caused by his veto
Orbán has proposed that a “fact-finding mission” be deployed to the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba pipeline to assess the damage caused last month by a Russian attack, which precipitated a halt in oil deliveries.
“It is in the interest of Hungary to restore the transfer as soon as possible. Hungary is ready to constructively engage in all efforts that contribute to this objective,” Orbán says in a new letter sent on Thursday to António Costa, the president of the European Council, and seen by Euronews’ Jorge Liboreiro.
“In this context, Hungary supports the idea of a fact-finding mission with the participation of experts delegated by Hungary and Slovakia to verify the status of the Druzhba pipeline. Hungary will accept the findings of such a mission,” he adds.
In his letter, Orbán also admits the “political difficulties” caused by his last-minute veto on packages of support to Ukraine, and says he is committed to finding a “timely resolution”.
“I am fully aware of the political difficulties created by the delay in the implementation of the European Council conclusions on the financial support for Ukraine,” he concludes.
“My initiative also aims at facilitating the timely resolution of this issue.”
The tone is substantially different from the incendiary messages that the Hungarian leader has been posting on social media for the past week, my colleague Jorge writes.
Earlier on Thursday, Orbán published an open letter addressed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he drew a direct link between the energy dispute and the upcoming elections on April 12, where Orbán trails behind in polls by double digits.
Jorge has the full story.
Belgian court suspends new asylum rules in blow to ‘strictest migration policy yet’
Belgium’s Constitutional Court on Thursday suspended several of the asylum and migration rules introduced by the coalition government, dealing a blow to its bid to implement the strictest migration policy in the country’s history, my colleague Lauren Walker reports.
The court specifically issued two rulings on immigration laws brought forward by the country’s right-leaning coalition — known as the “Arizona” coalition due to the colors of the coalition parties which match those on the flag of the US state of Arizona.
The first of the court’s decisions focused on tougher rules regarding family reunification introduced in August last year, which, among other measures, added a two-year waiting period for beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, or people who face a real risk of “serious harm” if returned to their country. The second ruling concerned several measures related to the reception of asylum seekers
It’s not the first time tougher EU migration policies run into legal obstacles. Last August, the EU’s top court dealt a blow to Italian premier Giorgia Meloni’s plans to house asylum applicants in Albania, when it ruled against the methods Italy had used to designate a country as “safe.”
Belgium has also already faced several court rulings challenging its migration policies, with Migration Minister Anneleen Van Bossuyt telling Euronews last year that she would refuse to pay the fines ordered by the courts.
Lauren hasthe details.
More from our newsrooms
Italy calls for suspension of EU carbon market. The Italian Minister said the Emissions Trading System (ETS) has a “perverse effect” and is condemning European companies from being competitive with other countries, encouraging other member states to back the suspension. Marta Pacheco hasthe story.
Brussels seeks EU-wide jail sentences for firearms offenses including 3D-printed weapons. New technologies and conflicts can lead to a surge of illicit firearms reaching the EU. The Commission argues this new directive is well-timed to prepare the bloc. Alice Tidey has the details.
Denmark calls early election in March after Trump-Greenland standoff. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Thursday that the country will hold a parliamentary election on March 24, giving citizens a chance to vote several months early after a tense standoff with Washington over Greenland. Malek Foudahas more.
UK Greens trounce far right in key election as Labor fall to disastrous third place. The Green Party of England and Wales has won a stunning victory in a pivotal UK by-election, establishing itself as a major political force and beating Nigel Farage’s far-right Reform UK into second place while the governing Labor Party suffered a humiliating defeat. Andrew Naughtie has they story.
We’re also keeping an eye on
- EU ministers discuss research and space in Competitiveness Council
That’s it for today. Jorge Liboreiro and Lauren Walker contributed to this newsletter. Remember to sign up to receive Europe Today in your inbox every weekday morning at 08.30.