The plan puts countries like Hungary and Slovakia directly in the EU’s crosshairs. Both have unabashedly kept pumping Russian fuel throughout the war, helped block further energy sanctions in Brussels, and pushed back against support for Ukraine.
On Tuesday, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen stressed that unlike sanctions, the upcoming proposals would not require unanimous support to pass — meaning EU countries could overrule Hungarian and Slovak objections.
“I hope that everybody will move forward, obviously, but if they don’t, that is also OK,” he told reporters at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “That is also part of the EU, that sometimes the majority makes decisions when necessary.”
And if reluctant countries still don’t comply, Jørgensen said: “We of course have the normal procedures of how to deal with that.”
The forceful message caught some diplomats by surprise, even as they said questions still needed answering. “I’m quite impressed,” one diplomat said. “I’m not compassionate for Hungary, and … for Slovakia, as well.”
Another credited Brussels with finally ensuring “the message is clear,” even if it still needs to give “assurance” that the plan is “legally feasible.”
