Justice minister calls for ‘culture of consensus rather than veto logic’ in Europe

Hungary is a “principled, fair partner” of the EU, “but we keep our common sense when ideological madness sweeps the EU”. Hungary has supported “everything the rest of the bloc did, including the sanctions packages, despite our misgivings”, Varga said.

The discrepancy between the political programme of the European elite and the needs of the European people was apparent in the EU’s migration policy and “now, with the war, it is clear that Brussels’ sanctions on energy are downright harmful, they exacerbate the problems rather than easing them, contribute to drastic price and utility fee rises, and a wartime crisis,” she said.

Varga called it unlikely that the EU would amend its basic treaties to scrap member states’ veto rights. The treaties are based on the principle of consensus, she said. “Which raises the question whether the Commission and the member states’ majority act in line with [the treaties] when they ignore the harm to the basic interests of others and create situations that exclude consensus,” she said.

Responding to a question, Varga said Hungary’s EU presidency slated for the second half of 2024 will come on the heels of the 2024 European parliamentary elections, “when the EU will elect new presidents for the European Commission, Council and Parliament. We will be there, an inevitable presence on the European stage — we will have to use that opportunity to the country’s advantage,” she said.