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”.
过去一周，欧洲民主出现了两次高潮和一次低谷。唐纳德•图斯克(Donald Tusk)在选举中战胜了非自由主义的法律与正义党(Law and Justice party)，宣誓就任波兰总理，这是一个高潮。另一个高潮是欧盟顶住了匈牙利的欧尔班•维克多(Viktor Orbán)的否决威胁，同意与乌克兰开始成员国谈判。但是，一次低谷是，欧尔班仍然阻止了欧盟向基辅提供为期四年、总额达500亿欧元的援助协议，从而危及乌克兰为与俄罗斯的战争提供资金的能力。为确保乌克兰在2024年获得现金流，并使欧盟继续成为有效的地缘政治参与者，欧盟必须找到解决“欧尔班问题”的方法。