The EU failed to reach unanimity over disputed elections in Venezuela after Hungary vetoed a statement expressing concern over alleged "flaws and irregularities" in the vote and calling for greater transparency.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner of the country's July 28 presidential election by the government-controlled electoral body, giving him around 51 percent of the vote to 44 percent for his opponent, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. However, the government failed to explain how these results were calculated and verified.
EU countries wanted to adopt a joint statement expressing concern about the outcome, but were blocked by Budapest's position, two officials familiar with the discussions told Politico.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell subsequently issued a statement on his own behalf, saying that "credible reports from local and international observers indicate that the election was marred by numerous flaws and irregularities."
"The data that the [Venezuelan] opposition has provided to the public suggests a radically different result than that announced" by the country's authorities, Borrell's second statement said.
"Until the voting data is published and verified, the already announced election results cannot be recognized."
Hungary's veto highlights a fundamental flaw in the EU's foreign policy, according to which decisions - including potential future sanctions against Venezuela - must be agreed unanimously among the bloc's 27 member states. This has led several countries, such as Germany, to advocate foreign policy decision-making by qualified majority voting. | BGNES
