Hungary Blocks Ukraine’s EU Clusters For Third Time, Offers to Unblock Them in Exchange for Minority Rights Progress

Hungary has blocked Ukraine’s EU accession process for a third time, offering to lift its objection only if Kyiv demonstrates progress in protecting the rights of the country’s Hungarian minority.The EU Council’s Working Party on Enlargement and Countries Negotiating Accession (COELA) held its first meeting following the summer recess on Tuesday, Sept. 1. According to Ukrainska Pravda citing European Pravda’s sources in Brussels, Hungary refused to approve the screening results for Ukraine’s 2nd and 3rd negotiation clusters.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The decision prevents the Council from moving forward with preparations to formally open the clusters, as such decision require unanimity from all 27 EU member states.Until Ukraine takes necessary steps to fulfill its bilateral commitments on national-minority rights, Budapest will not support its next EU accession stage by allowing progress on the clusters, Ukrainska Pravda separately reported on Tuesday.Third block since JulyDuring the July meetings, Budapest agreed only to advance Cluster 3 for Moldova. Most EU countries, led by Ireland – which holds the Council presidency – opposed separating the accession tracks of Ukraine and Moldova, meaning no decision was reached for either country.The next COELA meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 2, though Ukrainska Pravda reported that Ukraine and Moldova are not on the agenda.Accession process remains stalledCluster 2 covers the EU internal market, while Cluster 3 covers competitiveness and inclusive growth. Other Topics of Interest 5 Wounded in Russian Strikes on Dnipropetrovsk Region Russian forces struck five districts over 50 times on Tuesday, targeting civilian infrastructure including a school stadium, while Ukraine marks the start of a new school year. Hungary previously blocked technical work on clusters 2 through 6 for Ukraine, although it later lifted its objection to Cluster 6, covering foreign and security policy, trade policy, and relations with third countries.Budapest also delayed a joint EU letter concerning the two countries’ accession bids after EU governments formally opened Cluster 1 – Fundamentals – for Ukraine and Moldova on June 15.Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who opposed Ukraine’s EU membership and repeatedly cited concerns over the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, had blocked the opening of the first cluster for many years.Since then, Magyar has taken a noticeably different approach, ultimately sealing what he called a “historic agreement” with Ukraine earlier in June, formally securing the educational, cultural, linguistic and political rights of ethnic Hungarian communities in the Transcarpathia region.However, despite agreeing to allow the EU to send an official letter to Kyiv and Chisinau to launch the procedure for opening the sixth accession cluster in early July, Hungary has maintained its blockade on the remaining four clusters, delaying Kyiv’s effort to move forward with the remaining chapters of its accession negotiations.“There are six clusters in total, and we don’t think opening them all at once is a good idea – partly because the ink on the first one isn’t even dry yet, and partly because it would send the wrong message to the countries of the Western Balkans,” which have spent years working on EU membership, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said at the end of June. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.