MEP Manuela Ripa: "We must abolish the unanimity principle in the Council"

At the EU summit in Brussels this week, the European Union took the historic decision to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. As the Hungarian head of government, Orban, spoke out against this, a procedural trick had to be used due to the unanimity principle in order for the decision to be made. Prior to this, the EU had released 10.2 billion euros to Hungary, which had previously been frozen due to the limited rule of law in the country. Manuela Ripa, Member of the European Parliament for the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP), commented: "Unfortunately, the EU has allowed itself to be blackmailed by Orban, a puppet of Putin. The Commission has released the payment of 10.2 billion euros to Hungary. Allegedly because Budapest had fulfilled the conditions regarding the independence of the judiciary. But this justification is a joke, as all NGOs familiar with the situation in Hungary know. Instead, Orban received the money for leaving the room during the vote on the accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova in order to make the decision possible. This is an absolutely disgraceful deal with Orban!"

However, Orban showed his true colors again later on in the summit. Hungary blocked the disbursement of further EU aid for Ukraine amounting to 50 billion euros. Another attempt is now to be made in January to release the aid. Manuela Ripa is furious about this offense: "Orban will probably demand another price for releasing the aid to Ukraine after all. This is how the EU degenerates into a bazaar. The source of all evil is the EU's principle of unanimity, here in foreign policy matters. This allows autocrats like Orban to block the entire EU."

The MEP concludes from the political mess: "For me, there is no question that we must abolish the unanimity principle in the Council, especially in foreign policy issues, and replace it with majority decisions."