Hungary blocked financial aid to Ukraine on Thursday.Image: keystone
Mar 20, 2026, 10:59Mar 20, 2026, 10:59
Ukraine must continue to wait for billions in financial aid from the European Union (EU). This was blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the summit on Thursday – even though he had actually already agreed to it in December.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described Orban’s behavior at the EU summit as an “act of gross disloyalty” that would have consequences. Orban, on the other hand, was unimpressed.
But what could such consequences actually look like for Hungary? Can the other EU member states even throw Hungary out of the union? The short answer: no. But there are certainly measures that the EU could take.
This threatens Hungary
Anyone who wants to leave the European Union can do so – as the example of Great Britain shows. Expulsion, on the other hand, is not legally regulated. The sharpest sword the EU can wield against renegade member states is the Suspension clausewhich is regulated in Article 7 of the EU Treaty. The process has these three stages:
- Warning: The EU must first warn member states if they continue to disregard the rule of law. This requires the approval of four fifths of the members and, in the case of Hungary, this was already done in 2018.
- Decision: Before sanctions come into force, the European Council must unanimously determine that there has been a “serious and persistent violation”.
- Sanctions: Only then can the EU impose sanctions such as withdrawing voting rights in the Council or restricting other member rights.
In the case of Hungary, this procedure fails because of Poland. A warning has already been issued against both member states, and they are now protecting each other from a decision – which must be unanimous – and thus from sanctions.
The EU cannot currently take this route. The legal route remains via the European Court of Justice and the reduction or complete freezing of EU funds. For the latter, only a qualified majority (15 out of 27 countries) is required. Since 2022, the European Union has frozen billions of dollars in funds for Hungary.
Why Hungary is blocking aid to Ukraine
The pumping station at the end of the Druzhba pipeline.Image: keystone
Viktor Orban is currently claiming that Ukraine “arbitrarily turned off” the Druzhba oil pipeline. Through them, Hungary and Slovakia are the only EU countries that still receive oil from Russia, which is waging a war of aggression against Ukraine.
In fact, a Russian missile attack at the end of January severely damaged the pipeline in western Ukraine. According to Kiev, the repairs still need time. Orban only wants to give up his blockade when Russian oil flows into Hungary again.
Challenges Viktor Orban: Peter Magyar.Image: keystone
The right-wing populist is facing a parliamentary election in his home country that he could lose. According to observers, by fomenting conflicts with Ukraine, he hopes to be able to close the gap with challenger Peter Magyar by election day on April 12th. (leo with material from the sda)