The announcement of a candidacy of
European Council President Charles Michel in the upcoming
elections worries Kiev. If elected, Michel would take office in
the European Parliament in mid-July. EU leaders would then have
to quickly appoint a successor for his vacant European Council
post. Given that Hungary will take over the rotating presidency
of the Council in July of all places," several Ukrainian media
outlets point out today, "Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
could fill the role of European Council president if EU members
do not quickly reach agreement on another candidate. Tensions
between the EU and Hungary over support for Ukraine have
increased in intensity over the past year. As Michel's
replacement, "Orban," writes the Kyiv Independent, "would likely
cause further conflict among the members of the European
Commission. Since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, Hungary
has repeatedly obstructed EU support for Kiev, opposed sanctions
against Moscow and now threatens to thwart Ukraine's aspiration
to join the EU.
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