Ukrainian civil society calls on EU to break Hungary’s veto of accession talks

Dozens of Ukrainian civil society organisations have called on the foreign ministers of EU member states to find a way to unblock the start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine – currently held up by Hungary’s opposition.

The appeal was initiated by the Ukrainian Centre for European Policy and the Centre of Policy and Legal Reform, and was signed by numerous civil society groups, including European Pravda.

The letter warns that Ukraine’s integration into the EU "faces challenges, as bilateral issues might obstruct the overall accession negotiation process" – a veiled reference to Hungary, which risk stalling the broader accession process. It urges EU ministers to reinforce efforts towards building a consensus among EU Member States for the opening of Cluster 1, Fundamentals, for Ukraine.

"At this stage, Ukraine has completed its "pre-accession homework". However, moving forward now requires approval and support of the EU Member States for it to officially open Cluster 1, Fundamentals. This decision will benefit Ukraine as a candidate country and the EU as a whole," the letter reads.

The signatories emphasise that concrete steps forward in the accession process and maintaining a credible prospect for full EU membership serves as a strong motivator for Ukrainian politicians to implement reforms effectively and to full extent.

They also note that reforms within the first negotiation cluster Fundamentals will further enhance democratic transformations in Ukraine, and that civil society stands ready to monitor their effective implementation:

"We fully support the idea that the accession process should follow a merit-based methodology. To this end, we stand ready to cooperate with EU Member States by providing our analytical reports on the accession negotiation process."

It is worth recalling that Ukraine and the European Commission had ambitious plans for progressing accession talks in 2025, but Hungary’s veto has become a major obstacle. Recently, there have been signs that the European Union was considering continuing Moldova’s accession process separately from Ukraine amid Hungary’s opposition to negotiations with Kyiv

Following talks in Budapest on 29 April, Ukraine and Hungary agreed to hold regular talks aimed at unblocking Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations.