EU Plot To Sabotage Hungary Over Orbán's Anti-war Ukraine Policy, Leaked

The plan, first reported by the Financial Times was drawn up in secret to sabotage Hungary’s economy if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán decides this week to again block a $54B (€50B) support package for Ukraine. He blocked the funds in December, forcing an emergency European Union leaders meeting to be scheduled this Thursday to revisit the matter.

The plan involves weakening Hungary’s economy, its currency and reducing investor confidence. The document reportedly declares that “in the case of no agreement in the February 1 [summit], other heads of state and government would publicly declare that in the light of the unconstructive behaviour of the Hungarian PM  …  they cannot imagine that [EU funds would be provided to Budapest].”

The EU has in the past tried to use funds as a tool to force Hungary to tow the line on the bloc's globalist and woke policies; $22B (€20B) of funds are frozen over the country's policies against LGBTQ+ degeneracy and other woke and globalist issues.

An EU source reportedly said: “The reality is Hungary has not really been flexible on this. The member state level of frustration is increasing. It is higher than in December.” Another said Europe was “starting to look weak,” as Hungary repeatedly blocks many globalist and woke policies pushed by Brussels. Some see the leak as a high-risk political move that could backfire. The plan thought to be written by the secretariat of the council, may have been leaked to add pressure on Orbán before Thursday’s meeting.

Hungary’s EU minister János Bóka,, told the FT that his country “does not give in to pressure” and there was no connection between Ukraine and general access to EU funds. “Hungary has and will continue to participate constructively in the negotiations,” he said.

The minister also wrote on X on Monday: “The document, drafted by Brussels bureaucrats only confirms what the Hungarian government has been saying for a long time: access to EU funds is used for political blackmailing by Brussels.”

Commenting on the FT report, Orbán wrote on X: "We made a compromise proposal. In return, we were blackmailed by Brussels. The #Brussels blackmail manual was published in the @FT earlier this week. The cat is out of the bag. Forget about the rule of law, Hungary is blackmailed for having a it’s own opinion on #migration, the war in #Ukraine and #genderpropaganda. We will defend our interests. #Hungary cannot be blackmailed!"

Several member states had reportedly been pushing for a triggering of article 7 of the treaty of the European Union to strip Hungary of voting rights if Orbán continues to block EU decisions.

Following the FT report Monday, the Hungarian currency, the forint, depreciated by 0.7% briefly down to a low against the euro last seen in October. The country's economy is currently heavily reliant on the single market. According to European Commission data, intra-EU trade accounts for 78% of Hungary’s exports (Germany 28%, Romania, Slovakia, Austria and Italy all 5%), while 3% goes to the US and 3% to the UK.