this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2024
99 points (93.8% liked)

World News

39004 readers
2660 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Officials in Brussels have reportedly drawn up a secret plan to sabotage Hungary’s economy if Viktor Orbán decides this week to again block a €50bn support package for Ukraine.

The plan, reported by the Financial Times, reflects the fury mounting across European capitals at what one diplomat called the “policy of blackmail” being pursued by the Hungarian prime minister, who leads the bloc’s most pro-Russia state.

The FT said the strategy involved targeting Hungary’s economy, weakening its currency and reducing investor confidence.

Orbán blocked the €50bn in Ukraine funds in December, forcing an emergency leaders meeting to be scheduled on Thursday to revisit the matter.

Archive

FT Report
FT Report Archive

top 10 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 44 points 9 months ago (1 children)

How is it secret when it's been talked about for the last three weeks?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Maybe supposed to be a secret?

Similar to Egypt economy situation now. Their currency value vanished overnight after they rejected the west plan to transfer people of Gaza to Sinai. What a coincidence.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Is there no process to kick Hungary out?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

Even if the EU could, how would this be strategic in the long term?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

They can also block Hungary from exercising its voting rights, essentially suspending their EU membership. But not kicking them out altogether

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago (1 children)

@aew360 @world Nope. All that can be done is to withhold money from them.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago

No, they can do more. The nuclear option is to use Article 7 to suspend Hungary's voting rights at the European Council if they deem that Hungary is acting against the EU's values.

Stopping the flow of EU funds is part of the escalation route towards that but they won't do it unless they've exhausted other options - it's a tricky balancing act to cajole Orban into behaving like a European, and once they use Article 7 there will be no more escalation threats available.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Why do they need Hungary to sign on to send that money? Couldn't they just agree to send that money outside of the EU framework? Or each country just sends what they want to individually.

I mean fuck Orban but why are they allowing him the power to prevent them from helping Ukraine?

[–] [email protected] 40 points 9 months ago (1 children)

They can do that and there have been discussions about it. They also think that allowing Orban to break the EU process is itself a victory for Orban and Putin because it's a step toward fracturing EU unity.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago

Quite so. They don't want to have to deal with blocs of smaller nations, they want to be the big dog in every trade deal individually.