Most recently, Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán provoked people with controversial visits, such as to Putin. Now Ursula von der Leyen is announcing consequences.
In response to Viktor Orban’s unilateral steps in Ukraine policy, the EU Commission has decided to boycott. The German top politician Ursula von der Leyen announced that in future no EU commissioners, but only high-ranking officials, will attend informal ministerial meetings led by the current Hungarian EU Council Presidency. In addition, the EU Commission will forego the traditional inaugural visit to the Hungarian Presidency.
A spokesman said that this decision was made in response to a “peace mission” carried out independently by Orbán. Shortly after the start of the Hungarian EU Council Presidency, he undertook a foreign trip that was not coordinated with the EU. During this trip, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others, and described the meeting as a step towards resolving the Ukraine conflict.
But Orban’s solo diplomatic actions met with great displeasure within the EU. His trip to Moscow in particular was criticized because the Kremlin was able to use this meeting for its propaganda. Orban also met with Chinese head of state and party leader Xi Jinping and former US President Donald Trump, without clearly representing the EU’s position.
The Foreign Office has clearly criticized Orban’s actions. “These are Hungarian solo actions, which we observe with great surprise and scepticism,” said a spokesman at the Federal Press Conference in Berlin last Friday. He stressed that Orban was speaking exclusively for himself during these trips – and not for the European Union. Because of the “damage” that has already been caused, we must now wait and see how the Hungarian Council Presidency will continue.
Other member states have already drawn consequences. Lithuania and Sweden have announced that they will no longer send ministers to meetings in Hungary for the time being. Jessika Roswall, Sweden’s current EU minister and designated EU commissioner, argued that Hungary’s actions were harmful and must have consequences. According to her, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are also planning similar measures in response to Hungary’s diplomatic unilateral actions.
There are currently discussions in Brussels about whether an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, originally planned for the end of August in Budapest, should be moved to Brussels. A decision could be made by EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell at the last regular meeting of EU foreign ministers before the summer break, next Monday. He will be responsible for issuing the invitations.
