The EU Sixth Sanctions Set, finally approved by the EU heads of government on Tuesday, was torpedoed by Hungary on Wednesday night. Victor Orban’s representative at the Coreper, the body of permanent EU ambassadors that was supposed to formalize the decisions, vetoed the sanctions against Patriarch Cyrill.
According to an account in La Repubblica, the Coreper, led by France, Italy, Germany, and Spain, is now thinking through how to approve the package anyway, de facto kicking out Hungary. “That is enough. Either they backtrack or this is the moment to approve sanctions with 26 [votes] and pull Hungary out,” an ambassador is quoted saying.
Hungary’s veto is seen as “a concession to Russia and a blackmail against the EU Commission,” which is making “a miserable show [una figuraccia].” The French EU Presidency will try to repair things as the Coreper was supposed to meet again today, but “everyone suspects that Orban is provoking a split.” Another reading is that Orban wants to obtain €7 billion in EU Recovery funds which are blocked by Brussels on such bases as LGBT rights.
“Hungary will not support putting church leaders on a sanctions list. This affects the issue of religious freedom for communities in Hungary and this is sacrosanct,” said Orban.
