The past week has produced two highs, and a deep low, for European democracy. The swearing-in of Donald Tusk as Polish premier after his electoral victory over the illiberal Law and Justice party was one high. Another was the EU’s agreement, fending off threats of a veto by Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, to start membership talks with Ukraine. But, in a low point, Orbán still blocked a four-year, €50bn EU aid deal for Kyiv, jeopardising its ability to fund its war with Russia. To ensure cash flows to Ukraine in 2024, and that the EU can remain an effective geopolitical player, it must find ways to tackle its “Orbán problem”.
過去一周，歐洲民主出現了兩次高潮和一次低谷。唐納德?圖斯克(Donald Tusk)在選舉中戰勝了非自由主義的法律與正義黨(Law and Justice party)，宣誓就任波蘭總理，這是一個高潮。另一個高潮是歐盟頂住了匈牙利的歐爾班?維克多(Viktor Orbán)的否決威脅，同意與烏克蘭開始成員國談判。但是，一次低谷是，歐爾班仍然阻止了歐盟向基輔提供為期四年、總額達500億歐元的援助協議，從而危及烏克蘭為與俄羅斯的戰爭提供資金的能力。為確保烏克蘭在2024年獲得現金流，并使歐盟繼續成為有效的地緣政治參與者，歐盟必須找到解決“歐爾班問題”的方法。