Budapest has signalled it will no longer stand in the way of Ukraine's European Union accession talks, clearing the path for the opening of two new negotiating clusters. The shift follows an expert-level agreement that hinges on the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, passing a law on minority rights next week.
The breakthrough removes a significant obstacle ahead of the European Council summit, where Ukraine's progress is expected to be a key topic. It also has implications for Moldova, whose accession talks have been closely tied to Ukraine's in the EU's enlargement process.
Hungary had previously blocked further movement until Kyiv adopted legislation strengthening the educational and cultural rights of the ethnic Hungarian community in Transcarpathia. That region, which borders Hungary, is home to a sizable Hungarian minority.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the Verkhovna Rada is expected to pass the law on Monday. If it does, Hungary would then approve the opening of clusters two and three at the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg the following day. At the same meeting, member states are also expected to release a €4.2 billion cohesion payment to Hungary that had been frozen over concerns about corruption and rule-of-law standards.
On Wednesday, Hungary allowed technical preparations to proceed for the formal letters the Council must send to Ukraine, requesting its negotiating positions. Budapest had previously blocked even this preparatory step, making the move a clear signal that it is ready to lift its veto once the minority-rights legislation is adopted.
The clusters could then be formally opened at an Intergovernmental Conference next Tuesday. However, the process is not without risk: the Rada has yet to approve the law, and securing a stable majority in the chamber has proved difficult in the past.
From Orbán to Magyar: a shift in tone
Relations between Hungary and Ukraine deteriorated sharply under Viktor Orbán, whose government repeatedly clashed with Kyiv and obstructed its EU path. Orbán ran a fiercely anti-Ukraine campaign, portraying Kyiv as a threat to European security. After his landslide victory in April, Péter Magyar, who took office in May, promised a more pragmatic approach.
In June, Magyar approved the opening of two negotiating chapters after Kyiv adopted an 11-point action plan on minority rights. The rights of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia remain a sensitive issue, but conservative voters' traditional defence of Hungarian minorities abroad gives Magyar political room to strike a deal.
Despite the thaw, tensions have flared recently. In September, Magyar clashed publicly on X with Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, over Hungary's participation in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Carpathian summit. Magyar criticised Kyiv for listing Hungary as a participant without his approval, while Sybiha accused him of following in Orbán's footsteps. The dispute was later discussed by Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán and Sybiha at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Last week, the two foreign ministers held intense talks over a Ukrainian website's blacklisting of two Hungarians: footballer Milos Kerkez and opposition MP Balázs Hidvéghi. The incident followed a match between the Hungarian and Ukrainian national teams in Budapest, where some Hungarian ultras booed the Ukrainian anthem and players clashed on the pitch.
The two clusters now set to open cover the internal market and competitiveness. Earlier this year, Kyiv opened clusters on the so-called fundamentals, including rule of law and judiciary, as well as external relations. If the next two are opened, Ukraine would still have two more to begin its accession process in full, on the green agenda and EU resources. Brussels aims to open all remaining clusters by the end of the year.
Settling the dispute could also pave the way for the first bilateral meeting between Magyar and Zelenskyy. The two had planned to meet earlier, but Magyar made the talks conditional on progress on minority rights. With the veto lifted, that meeting may now be within reach.
