Orban Hasn’t Totally Derailed the EU, But Danger's Not Over

Hungarian strongman leader Viktor Orban is said to be a fan of Charles De Gaulle. But unlike the Frenchman’s 1960s European boycott that paralyzed policymaking, Orban’s stage-managed exit from this week’s EU leaders’ summit was a boost rather than a crisis for unity with Ukraine. The risk, though, is of bigger fights to come.

The EU leaders’ agreement — minus Orban — to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova is a historic, if symbolic, signal and a message to Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump that there’s still momentum behind Kyiv even as US aid hangs in the balance. The alternative would have been a sorry indictment of the bloc’s wider geopolitical ambitions and of Orban’s ability to derail them.

EU leaders were also keen to put a positive spin on the fact that they were unable to agree on financial support for Ukraine, due to Orban once again blocking an extra €50 billion ($54.7 billion) aid package for Ukraine. Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said only Hungary opposed the aid and other revised budget plans, but he was “fairly confident” there’d be a breakthrough early next year. And he knows a thing or two about EU budget spats.