EU Commission limits participation in Hungarian presidency events after Orbán’s visits to Russia and China

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen decided to limit European Commission’s participation in Hungary's EU presidency events, in response to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's self-described “peace mission” to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing.

Jul 17, 2024 - 08:06

EU Commission limits participation in Hungarian presidency events after Orbán’s visits to Russia and China

Orban meets Putin: Ukraine and Russia's positions

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, canceled the visit of the European Commission Collegium to Hungary and lowered the level of representation at informal meetings of the EU Council under the Hungarian presidency.

This decision follows the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visits to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing in his so-called “peace mission”, which drew criticism from EU member states about Hungary’s alignment with EU policies and values.

Eric Mamer, spokesman for the European Commission president, announced the decision of the European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen

In light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian Presidency, the President has decided that @EU_Commission will be represented at senior civil servant level only during informal meetings of the Council.

The College visit to the Presidency will not take place.— Eric Mamer (@MamerEric) July 15, 2024

In response to the Commission’s announcement, Hungary’s Minister for European Union Affairs, Bóka János, expressed his country’s commitment to “sincere cooperation” with EU member states and institutions.

He also noted that the European Commission is an EU institution, and it does not have the authority to selectively choose which member states or institutions it collaborates with.

The @HU24EU remains committed to sincere cooperation w/ #EU Member States & institutions. They have been invited to participate in Presidency events aimed at addressing common challenges. This task and responsibility is shared by all Member States and institutions. 1/2— Bóka János (@JanosBoka_HU) July 15, 2024

Reactions to Orbán’s controversial visits

In protest against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, six EU states, including Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, decided not to send ministers to Hungary’s EU presidency meetings.

After he met with Putin, Viktor Orbán wrote to the European Council President and other EU leaders, promoting a peace plan for Ukraine aligned with Russian interests and echoing Russian propaganda. This plan, rejected by Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, includes a temporary ceasefire and potential peace negotiations based on the Russian terms.

The timing of his visit to Russia was also called into question, as it was followed by Russian troops bombing a children’s hospital in Kyiv.

While Budapest maintains that these diplomatic engagements were conducted within the framework of bilateral relations, critics argue that the use of the official logo of the Hungarian EU presidency during these visits suggests an abuse of power and disloyalty to EU interests, according to Euronews.

On 11 July, Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar visited Kyiv, paying tribute to Ukrainian defenders and condemning Russia’s attack on Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, contrasting Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s approach.

The Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union began on 1 July and is set to continue until 31 December.

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