25 March 2026
A Deal Is a Deal
Veto threats are ordinary currency in Brussels. A veto against an agreed compromise, used to force concessions on an unrelated dispute and to stage a domestic election campaign, is not. The events of 19 March 2026 were serious not only because Viktor Orbán blocked money for Ukraine, but because he did so after having promised in December 2025 not to stand in the way. This time Orbán went too far – if the other leaders fail to respond effectively, they will be teaching everyone that the most profitable strategy is blackmail. Continue reading >>
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15 December 2023
Orbán’s Veto Play – The Subsidiarity Card
Viktor Orbán is known to use veto threats in the European Council to get his way. This time, he was keen to see that after months of tense exchanges with the Commission, Hungary gets access to EU funds that had been blocked in order to achieve compliance with the rule of law and fundamental rights conditionality. So, PM Orbán saw it fit to loudly contest Ukraine’s accession and the financial aid package of 50 billion Euros. This may be PM Orbán’s strongest veto play to date. Continue reading >>
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27 November 2020
Liebesgrüße aus Warschau
Warum die polnische Regierung deutsche Jurist_innen umwirbt Continue reading >>
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27 November 2020
From Warsaw with Love
Why the Polish government is wooing German jurists Continue reading >>
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27 November 2020
Beyond the Veto of the EU Recovery Fund
Poland and Hungary are threatening to block the EU’s €750 billion budget for the next five years. On the verge of taking the biggest step towards closer economic integration to date, the EU should not compromise on the rule of law. To call Poland and Hungary’s bluff, it needs to hold its ground and present a credible plan B. There are three options for an outside recovery instrument worth considering. Continue reading >>28 May 2018
The People vs. the Elite: Italian Dialectics and the European Malaise
Has the Italian President power of veto over the choice of the ministers of the government? Some argue that the Constitution does not allow Mattarella to go against the indications of the winning parties and should respect the will of the majority of the electorate, and should abstain from interfering with the political choices of the future Prime Minister. These considerations are not correct and follow from a superficial reading of the Constitution. Continue reading >>03 November 2016