Emmanuel Macron will meet Viktor Orban to try to resolve differences linked to the war in Ukraine

No stranger to standoffs with Brussels, Viktor Orban has the possibility of blocking the decisions of the European Council, since the unanimity of the Twenty-Seven is required.

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French President Emmanuel Macron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Vilnius (Lithuania) on July 11, 2023. (LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will be received in Paris on Thursday by Emmanuel Macron, the Elysée announced on Tuesday December 5. A meeting intended to find a compromise before the European summit on December 14 and 15. In a context of heightened tensions between Budapest and Brussels, the Hungarian leader threatens to sabotage the upcoming European Council.

Among the topics on the menu of this meeting are: “strands of European support for Ukraine” the French presidency announced. The spokesperson for the head of the Hungarian government also confirmed this visit to the private channel ATV, without providing further details.

The only European leader to have maintained close ties with the Kremlin after the Russian invasion launched in Ukraine, Viktor Orban called for the postponement of two key decisions for Ukraine, on budgetary support of 50 billion euros and the opening of negotiations for accession to the EU. Since unanimity of the Twenty-Seven is required, the Hungarian has the possibility of blocking the decisions of the European Council alone.


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