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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has but once more humiliated the European Union. He threatened to veto the bloc’s sixth anti-Russian sanctions bundle except Patriarch Kirill, chief of the Russian Orthodox Church, was exempted. The EU, in a bid to shortly go the sanctions, let Orban have his approach. Kirill was faraway from the sanctions checklist regardless of his warmongering and the truth that some wish to see Kirill prosecuted for supporting Russia’s atrocious actions in Ukraine.
For years, Orban has been enjoying the EU to additional his personal agenda. His actions frequently spark Europe-wide condemnation. His newest pro-Putin antics are not any exception.
Orban has additionally exerted his affect elsewhere within the EU, although extra quietly. And one man, Oliver Varhelyi, who has served because the EU commissioner for neighborhood and enlargement since 2019, has helped him to take action. The 50-year-old lawyer, diplomat and long-time Orban ally likes to current himself as a loyal EU commissioner. However in actuality, Varhelyi has acted as Orban’s agent, pushing his agenda.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Brussels in late Might 2022
Orban’s strategizing
On the difficulty of EU enlargement, Orban has insisted that Western Balkan states ought to be part of the bloc as quickly as doable. The Hungarian chief maintains cordial relations with numerous regional autocrats, particularly Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Neither are fascinated by reforms that strengthen the rule of regulation or real democratic methods of governance. If Western Balkan international locations like Serbia are shortly admitted to the EU, having undertaken exterior reforms, Orban might acquire higher clout within the bloc and weaken his enemies in Brussels.
In previous years, few in Europe paid a lot consideration to Orban and Varhelyi’s agenda with regard to EU enlargement. That’s as a result of including new members to the membership appeared more and more unlikely in recent times. Whereas irksome, Orban’s Western Balkans technique didn’t appear very life like.
Praising authoritarian leaders
Russia’s struggle on Ukraine could also be altering the state of affairs. For a few years, the Kremlin has sought to destabilize a spread of Western Balkan states. Now, the EU and Germany have begun devoting extra consideration to the area out of worry of violent escalation within the space.
German Overseas Minister Annalena Baerbock and Protection Minister Christine Lambrecht visited the Western Balkans in current weeks, and Prime Minister Olaf Scholz will journey there this week. The hope is that by giving extra consideration to the area, fostering higher cooperation, supporting reform-minded politicians and their initiatives, in addition to anti-nationalist and anti-separatist campaigns, the Western Balkans will be prevented from drifting away from the EU.
This, nonetheless, locations German diplomats on a collision course with Orban and his ally Varhelyi. As a substitute of criticizing excellent reforms within the area, Varhelyi has praised authoritarian leaders like Serbia’s Vucic and Montenegro’s Milo Dukanovic for supposedly making good on EU integration targets to the extent that he has appeared like a lobbyist for the Western Balkans.
Watered-down criticism
One EU official near Varhelyi, who needs to stay nameless, instructed DW that the commissioner and his cupboard have sought to systematically water down any criticism of Serbia. This may be seen in progress stories written by Brussels about EU membership candidates. “Important sections, for instance about press freedom in Serbia, had been minimize from our stories; destructive evaluations had been remodeled into extra constructive ones,” the EU supply stated.
Working in plain sight
A political adviser, who has offered experience on the Western Balkans to Brussels for a few years, agrees with this evaluation. The supply wished to stay nameless as properly. “Varhelyi will not be a mole,” the knowledgeable instructed DW. “He doesn’t cover; he’s overtly advancing Orban’s insurance policies throughout the EU Fee.”
EU Fee President Ursula von der Leyen
Viola von Cramon, a Inexperienced MEP, is equally important of the commissioner. “Varhelyi is approaching all these actors within the Western Balkans who aren’t democrats however who Orban depends on to pursue his insurance policies.”
Earlier this yr, Cramon co-initiated a protest letter despatched to Ursula von der Leyen, the European Fee president. The letter, supported by 30 MEPs, known as for an inside investigation into Varhelyi’s conduct. Controversially, Varhelyi had engaged individually with Bosnian Serb chief Milorad Dodik, who’s one in all three leaders who type Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tripartite presidency. Dodik has for years threatened the secession of the nation’s Serbian entity, the Republika Srpska, thereby calling into query the existence of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In late 2021, Varhelyi reportedly mentioned the timing of Bosnian Serb separatist initiatives with Dodik.
Inexperienced MEP Viola von Cramon is important of Varhelyi
Hungarian curiosity paramount
The protest letter led to naught; Von der Leyen didn’t reply. “She [Ursula von der Leyen] wouldn’t have develop into president of the European Fee with out Orban’s backing,” von Cramon stated. “That’s most likely why she is ducking away, avoiding issues; I feel the enlargement portfolio ought to by no means have been handed to Orban.”
The Hungarian chief has been clear he desires to maintain having a say in EU enlargement policymaking, vetoing steps if essential. “Berlin and Brussels can not go about their Balkan insurance policies in opposition to or with out Hungary,” Orban stated in a speech final February. “We’ll settle for no determination made by Brussels that runs counter to Hungarian pursuits.”
This text has been translated from German.
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