Swinging Viktor

Viktor Orbán has finally given in. On 1 February, the leaders of the EU27 gathered for an extraordinary summit, during which they were due to discuss, among other things, 50 billion euro in financial assistance for Ukraine. There was just one problem: since December 2023, the Hungarian Prime Minister has been blocking approval of the funds, which requires unanimity. But, for reasons which may never be known, Orbán has finally taken a u-turn.

The Prime Minister was expected to make his agreement conditional on the release of European funds for Hungary, yet he appears to have achieved nothing concrete in this regard. According to some, his "victory" lies in a few additions made to the text - guarantees considered marginal amendments in Brussels, and as spoils of war by Budapest. European leaders, for their part, congratulated themselves on having been able to make the troublemaker crack without giving in to blackmail.