On Monday, the EU’s High Representative Josep Borrell announced that Hungary would no longer host an EU foreign ministers meeting. This decision was made due to widespread anger in the bloc at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s discussions about the war in Ukraine during his visits to Moscow and Beijing. As a result, the meeting planned for Budapest in late August will now take place in Brussels. Borrell, along with 25 EU foreign ministers, condemned Budapest’s initiative. The informal foreign ministers’ meeting is among the most high-profile and prestigious events during the EU rotating presidency. This move signifies that Orbán’s actions are leading Hungary towards increasing isolation.
Hungary took over the six-month rotating role on July 1. From the first day, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán challenged the official EU policy on the war in Ukraine by meeting Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss with them a “made in Hungary” plan, named pompously by Orbán the “peace mission”.
His initiative irritated most EU member countries, as Orbán did without EU backing. Moreover, his government branded EU policy as “pro-war”. In addition, 63 European lawmakers said last week that Hungary’s PM had implied he acted on behalf of the entire EU when he visited Moscow and Beijing.
Orbán’s role during the EU Council’s rotating presidency is purely decorative. However, he defied the EU once more by announcing plans to host informal meetings in Budapest.
On Monday, High Representative Josep Borrell deprived Hungary of its role as host of an EU foreign ministers’ meeting. Borrell said the meeting, planned for Budapest in late August, would now take place in Brussels.
The High Representative told journalists at the press conference following Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council that “Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula is the only peace plan the EU supports. Russia is the aggressor and violator of the UN Charter, and Ukraine is the aggressed. The EU is not ‘pro-war’: it is pro-peace. There is only one pro-war party, and it is Putin’s.”
Borrell highlighted that the “so-called Hungarian ‘peace mission’ benefits only Putin“ and breaches the sincere cooperation among the EU members.
“Hence my decision to convene informal meetings of the EU Foreign and Defence Ministers in Brussels in August,“ said Borrell.
