The rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union held by Hungary since the beginning of July has turned into a confrontation, following the visit, without the slightest consultation, of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
On Monday evening, the European Commission announced that “in light of recent developments” its commissioners would not participate in the multiple meetings planned in Hungary over the next six months.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has decided that the institution will be represented “only at senior official level” at informal Council meetings scheduled in Hungary until the end of the year, her spokesperson Eric Mamer announced on X.
Furthermore, the trip of the College of Commissioners, traditionally organised in the country of the presidency, “will not take place”, he added. This trip normally planned for the beginning of July had already been postponed to September, officially for calendar reasons.
“Unprecedented!” reacted Alberto Alemanno, professor of European law at HEC Paris, on X, referring to a “boycott” of the Hungarian presidency by the European Commission.
Viktor Orbán sparked anger and confusion within the EU by visiting Vladimir Putin in early July, a “peace initiative” not coordinated with other leaders of the European bloc.
Hungary has occupied since 1er July the six-monthly presidency of the Council of the EU, a function of coordinating legislative work which does not authorise it to speak on behalf of Europeans on the international scene.
However, Mr Orbán is accused of having abused this position to discuss ways of a “ceasefire” in Ukraine, breaking with the European position of total support for kyiv and isolation of Russia.
“Unacceptable”
Hungary reacted strongly, through its Minister for European Affairs, Janos Boka, to the Commission’s decision, questioning the latter’s motivations.
“The EU is an international organisation constituted by its Member States. The European Commission is an institution of the EU […]it cannot choose the institutions and the Member States with which it wants to cooperate,” he said on X.
“Are all the Commission’s decisions now based on political considerations?” he added.
For Hungarian MEP Kinga Gal, a member of Fidesz, Viktor Orbán’s party, this decision is “clearly part” of Ursula von der Leyen’s “electoral campaign” and is “unacceptable”.
The German official hopes to obtain the green light from MEPs in Strasbourg on Thursday for a second five-year term at the head of the Commission.
The EU is also considering snubbing a meeting of foreign ministers scheduled for August in Budapest.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell could prevent ministers from travelling to Hungary next month by calling another meeting at the same time in Brussels, according to several diplomats based in the EU capital.
According to diplomats interviewed by AFP, the boycott of the meeting in Budapest would be a way of reprimanding Hungary.
If Josep Borrell were to call a meeting on the same date, “it would take the decision out of the hands of the ministers. It would not be a matter of them taking the political decision not to go to Hungary but rather that they should go to Brussels,” one of them explained.
Viktor Orbán criticises sanctions against Russia and military aid to kyiv and has consistently held back EU efforts in these areas.
He also opposes the prospect of Ukraine joining the European Union. Despite the war, Hungary has strengthened its ties with the Kremlin, in the name of its economic interests, particularly in the energy sector.