Hungary colluded with Russia to delist sanctioned oligarchs, companies and banks

Legally it remains a politically legitimate basis for a Member State to withhold consent in a unanimity-based system. Hungary’s use of this argument serves a dual purpose. Domestically, it allows Viktor Orbán to reinforce an anti-Ukrainian narrative. At the EU level, it provides leverage to extract concessions in unrelated areas, such as EU funding or rule-of-law disputes.”