Expert: Artem Sokolov
EU backs Ukraine aid and sanctions but faces growing internal divisions
After Hungary's return to the "European family," the EU decided to strike while the iron was hot. In short order, it approved another tranche of financial aid for Kyiv and a 20th package of anti-Russia sanctions—both steps taken with the backing of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is currently serving as acting head of the Eastern European government.
Hardly had the celebrations over Orbán's victory subsided when Europe's mainstream once again found cause for concern. In Bulgaria's elections, the Progressive Bulgaria party, led by former President Rumen Radev, emerged victorious. Like Orbán before him, Radev advocates halting military aid to Ukraine and resuming dialogue with Russia while criticizing EU institutions. Once more, the EU faces the threat of a "weak link" with an inconvenient veto power over key domestic and foreign policy decisions. Meanwhile, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico—who has retained his critical stance despite Orbán's ally suffering defeat—remains a thorn in Brussels' side.
Not every election campaign in the EU sparks the same emotional storm as Hungary's recent vote. Even Bulgaria's elections, which just concluded with a formally anti-establishment force taking power, unfolded in a far calmer atmosphere. Yet the trend is clear: electoral processes are increasingly becoming a stress test for the European project, a desperate struggle between mainstream forces and the opposition.
Two decades ago, the EU's diverse election campaigns were important in their own right but largely routine. Eurosceptics were seen as hopeless fringe figures, notable only for their eccentric proposals. The real competition played out among various shades of centrist politics. These elections mattered for the careers of individual politicians but did little to shape the broader trajectory of EU member states.
Brexit laid bare the consequences of European voters' choices in this new historical context. What were once sources of legitimacy—elections and referendums—have now become sources of threat. A populace discontented with life in Europe's "flower garden" is gradually turning into an irritating obstacle in the picture of universal prosperity.
For the European political mainstream, the only option left is to operate in crisis mode, rushing from one election to the next, explaining to voters whom they should support. Sometimes, these appeals fall flat, and opposition forces win. That's when the Eurocrats step in, making it clear that the principle of "unity in diversity" should not be taken too literally.
For now, the system is holding up and helping to contain the risks. But over time, the firefighters may grow exhausted—and the lifesaving water from their hoses could turn into fuel for the flames.
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