French President Emmanuel Macron has criticised Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán for his recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels.
While Macron acknowledged that Orbán has the right to conduct such meetings, he suggested that he should arrange any meeting with a country considered an enemy of Europe after consultation with EU member states and leaders.
Macron, who had confronted Orbán in front of other leaders, revealed, “I can tell you what I said to Viktor Orbán publicly around the table.” The French President added, “First of all, I respect all the heads of state and government around the table and their sovereignty. There’s no need to restrict any leader from moving in any direction…”
However, Macron said he requests coordination beforehand and afterwards and that, particularly in the current situation with Russia, using these bilateral contacts to negotiate matters of a single member interest may weaken the EU’s unity.
French President also said Brussels did not invade Hungary. Still, Hungary decided to join the EU, a sovereign choice with constraints because all member states have agreed to delegate sovereignty to the EU. In other words, joining the EU is a voluntary decision with certain limitations mutually agreed upon by all members.
