Hungarian PM confirms first EU negotiation cluster opened thanks to minority deal

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Madár announced that his government has given the green light for the opening of the first negotiation cluster between Ukraine and the European Union. This came after Ukraine made changes to its national minority protection plan – in a version previously coordinated with EU member states.

In a Facebook post, Madár emphasized that his administration managed in just a few weeks what his predecessor Viktor Orbán could not achieve in ten years – the rights of the Hungarian minority are now guaranteed. He called the agreement historic.

According to Madár, Budapest also secured guarantees from the EU regarding the implementation of a bilateral agreement regulating the rights of Hungarians in Transcarpathia. The Ukrainian side officially committed to fulfill all points and included this agreement in the EU Action Plan on Minorities.

"This means that the fulfillment of obligations under the Hungarian-Ukrainian agreement on minority rights is now also an EU requirement," Madár stated. He added that compliance will be constantly monitored by the European Commission and the European Council in the future.

Madár warned that if Ukraine fails to meet its obligations on Hungarian minority rights within the set deadlines, it will not be able to move forward in the EU accession process. He also noted that opening the first cluster is only the first step in a long and complex journey.

On Friday, the EU officially confirmed the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine. Prior to this, Ukraine fulfilled the last Hungarian demand required for the cluster to be opened.