Michel skipped over formalities, quickly laying out details of the agreement with Orbán, to which no leader objected, including small concessions to Hungary. An annual discussion on the aid package and “if needed” a review in two years’ time would “allow Orbán to save face at home,” one EU diplomat said.
Hungary was quick to spin the outcome as a win for Budapest. Orbán’s political director, Balázs Orbán — who is not related to the Hungarian PM — claimed Budapest got what it wanted out of the summit.
“At the end of the first year, aid to Ukraine must be renegotiated, and at the end of the second year, the entire issue will be reconsidered in the context of the EU budget for the next period,” Balázs Orbán wrote on X.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed Orbán was not given additional concessions, as did German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in a post-summit press conference.
Even more important to getting Budapest over the line was an added sentence in the text referring to earlier summit conclusions, which provide guarantees that the way the rule of law in Hungary is evaluated by the European Commission is done in a fair and objective manner. This was done to restore the deep mistrust Budapest has toward the Commission on disbursing money to Hungary. “Orbán obtained the commitment to be treated fairly,” one EU diplomat said.
Diplomats and officials said Orbán simply had to give in to avoid a major political crisis. And ahead of Thursday’s announcement, leaders were not shy in showing Hungary who was in charge.
“Hungary needs Europe. He should also look into what is in it for Hungary being in Europe,” Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said when walking into the meeting.
