Hungarian Veto on Ukraine Loan Proves EU Needs Less Unanimity, Says New Dutch PM
Rob Jetten, the Netherlands’ newly appointed prime minister, criticized Hungary’s last-minute objection to a €90 billion aid package for Ukraine during his first visit to Brussels. He argued that the European Union must reduce its dependence on unanimous decisions, emphasizing the need for more flexible consensus mechanisms. “The new Dutch government supports a shift toward less unanimous decision-making across the EU,” Jetten told journalists, including Euronews. “This shows why such a change is vital, as we can’t explain to our citizens that Europe’s responses to major challenges are too cautious.”
“When a political agreement is reached at the Council level, we expect all member states to adhere to it. Otherwise, the European Commission has a significant role in enforcing the decision,” Jetten stated.
Jetten called on Hungary’s leader, Viktor Orbán, to uphold the December agreement among EU leaders, which allowed Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic to avoid joint borrowing by agreeing to maintain unanimity in budget adjustments. Brussels officials claim Orbán’s veto on the loan’s final stage violates the bloc’s principle of sincere cooperation. Meanwhile, the Commission has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to repair the Druzhba pipeline and Orbán to lift his objection
