To avoid having to seek approval from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban every six months to extend sanctions on Russia, EU leaders have found a solution.
Namely, the leaders of at least six EU member states will soon pass a package of sanctions in their national parliaments that will be identical to those adopted at the level of the entire bloc, Politico reports.
Countries refused to make a decision
The idea has been around for a few years, however, countries like the Czech Republic and Belgium refused to make a decision at the national level.
However, the fact that Orban must be given some concession every six months in order to extend the sanctions has led European leaders to turn to a different solution.
Although not all countries are fully in agreement, the group of willing countries now includes some, like the Czech Republic and Belgium, that are ready for this solution.
No renewal
“All of us, member states and institutions, must be aware that the sanctions may not be renewed. We need to ensure that the entire sanctions regime is resilient”, a European diplomat told Politico.
Only a handful of countries on the “front line” bordering Russia have so far imposed unilateral sanctions, but diplomats confirmed that more and more capitals are now considering imposing their own measures.
Veto power
Orban has repeatedly threatened to use his veto power to block EU initiatives. He has vowed to block measures against Russian oil, gas and nuclear technology — despite warnings that a return to buying sanctioned Russian energy would be a “fatal mistake.”
Drama unfolded in January when a Hungarian delegation refused to approve the renewal of the restrictions — coming just hours before billions of dollars would start flowing to Moscow again.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio privately urged Budapest to back down, and the extension of the sanctions was eventually approved. However, Brussels clearly does not want to risk a repeat of this situation.
