Left-wing members of the European Parliament are ramping up pressure to revoke Hungary’s veto power after Prime Minister Viktor Orbán refused to align with the EU’s stance on Ukraine at the ongoing European Council summit.
Leading the charge is German Green MEP Daniel Freund, a vocal Orbán critic, who’s calling on Brussels to invoke Article 7—an EU measure that can strip a member state of its voting rights. “Strengthen Europe. Step 1: Strip Orbán of his veto! Article 7 NOW,” Freund declared on X.
Hungarian officials didn’t hold back. Orbán’s spokesman, Zoltan Kovacs, fired back online, branding Freund one of the “madmen of the continent.” This isn’t their first clash—back in October, Freund labeled Orbán “the most corrupt politician” during Hungary’s EU presidency.
Joining the push against Hungary, left-wing MEP Daniel Boeselager of the pro-EU Volt movement urged European leaders to act, insisting that “time is running out” and calling for stronger defense cooperation.
Orbán, however, remains firm. In a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa, he made it clear—Hungary and the EU have irreconcilable strategic differences on Ukraine. He urged the bloc to follow Washington’s lead and engage directly with Moscow on ceasefire talks.
“I propose we avoid attempting to adopt a written conclusion on Ukraine,” Orbán wrote, dismissing the EU’s approach.
Hungary isn’t standing alone. Slovakia, led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, has also refused to sign the EU’s Ukraine declaration. Fico accused Brussels of trying to prolong the war, arguing that peace talks—not endless military aid—should be the priority.
“Slovakia supports an immediate ceasefire, even before a final peace deal,” Fico stated, pointing out that both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and many EU leaders reject that idea. He also demanded guarantees for restoring gas transit through Ukraine to Slovakia and Western Europe.
With Hungary and Slovakia standing firm, Brussels faces a growing challenge in maintaining EU unity on Ukraine. If leaders fail to find common ground, the European Council may struggle to finalize its Ukraine conclusions by March 6.
