Hungary Vetoes EU Joint Statement on Venezuelan Election Irregularities

According to Politico, Hungary has vetoed a European Union joint statement addressing flaws and irregularities in Venezuela's presidential election. Two officials familiar with the discussions reported that EU countries intended to express their concerns over the election results in a joint statement on Monday, but Hungary's position blocked this effort.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell later issued a personal statement, noting that "credible reports from domestic and international observers indicate that the election was marred by numerous flaws and irregularities." Recognizing Hungary's likely intransigence, Borrell decided to issue a second statement on his own behalf on Tuesday, instead of seeking unanimous support from the EU's 27 member states.

"Hungary's veto highlights a fundamental flaw in the EU's foreign policy, which requires unanimous agreement among all 27 member states for decisions, including potential future sanctions against Venezuela," the article explains. This situation has prompted some countries, like Germany, to advocate for making foreign policy decisions by a qualified majority.