The Hidden Price Tag: Financial and Political Costs of Ukraine in the EU

This panel examines the economic, financial, and political costs of Ukraine's EU accession. Our speakers will be focusing on the secretly drafted and recently leaked so-called "Prosperity Package": a 10-year plan to pour up to $800 billion into Ukraine's reconstruction and fast-track EU membership. The shiny promise? A "digitally enabled, fastest-growing" Ukraine that doubles GDP and thrives. The European reality? A gigantic bill forced on EU citizens, who never signed up for it.
The panel will be discussing how realistic this package is, and what do Europeans really want.

Speakers:

• Rodrigo Ballester, Head of the Center for European Studies at MCC
• Barbara Kolm, President of the Friedrich A. v. Hayek Institute in Vienna, Austria; Founding Director of the Austrian Economics Center
• Philip Pilkington, Senior Research Fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs
• Péter Szitás, Deputy Director of Research at the Danube Institute

Moderator: Kristóf Veres, International Director of the Danube Institute

Details:

Date & time: Thursday, February 5, 2026, 5:30 P.M.
Venue: Lónyay-Hatvany Villa, 1 Csónak Street, 1015 Budapest (Entrance; Aranybástya Restaurant)
Gate opens: 5:00 P.M.
Language: English

Participation is free; however, due to limited seating, pre-registration is required.