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For more than a decade, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has proved to be a major headache to the EU. Brussels has failed to find a way to effectively sanction his anti-democratic transformation of Hungary, getting bogged down instead in discussions about whether to do so and how. Meanwhile, Orban has succeeded in stalling the EU with tactical games or by blackmailing it with vetoes on various foreign policy or budget issues.
But Orban's regime, which now faces headwinds on all fronts, has now come to a turning point. With his Putin-friendly positioning, the prime minister has isolated Hungary within the EU, even falling out with his closest ally Poland. So far, Brussels has remained unexpectedly tough and has not paid out COVID-19 recovery fund money because of allegations of corruption. Furthermore, a decision on whether to impose sanctions on the country as part of the bloc’s new rule of law mechanism is expected in the coming months. A recent new ruling concluded that Brussels would have the option of cutting off all funds to Hungary — cutting off access to billions that the country needs more urgently than ever.
