EU High Representative Borrell switches EU meetings to Brussels from Budapest after criticizing Hungarian president Orbán News
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EU High Representative Borrell switches EU meetings to Brussels from Budapest after criticizing Hungarian president Orbán

The EU Foreign Affairs High Representative Josep Borrell characterized Hungarian President Viktor Orbán as being disloyal to the EU during a press conference Monday, after which he switched the locations of informal EU Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers meetings to Brussels rather than Budapest.

Borrell negated Orbán’s characterization of the EU as “pro-war,” stating that “the only one who’s pro-war is Putin, who is calling for the Ukraine partition and rendition as pre-conditions for any talks and any ceasefire […] If you want to talk about the ‘war party,’ talk about Putin. Not about the European Union.”

Following the statement, Borell went on to foreshadow consequences for breaches of EU policies: “We have to send a signal, even if it is a symbolic signal, that being against the foreign policy of the European Union, and disqualifying the policy of the EU as the party of war has to have some consequences. Formal consequences, symbolic consequences …”

Borell commented on EU states’ disapproval of Orbán’s controversial “peace mission” and insisted every EU state, including Hungary, are bound by the duty of loyalty under art 24.3 of the Treaty of the EU. He stated the article on the duty of loyalty is neither a “decoration” nor “empty words”. Despite each member state being sovereign, they are required to comply with the treaties “actively and unreservedly in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity.” It “is not something you can do or not – you have to.”

The Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó commented on the EU’s decision to boycott Hungary of its hosting duties as “kindergarden-level debate.” The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had commented to CNBC last week regarding his job “to convince them to shift from the pro-war policy to a pro peace policy.”

Orbán has recently been on a controversial “peace mission” which involved visits to Moscow and Beijing to meet with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping regarding the Ukrainian War. This “peace mission” coincided with Orbán’s presidency of the EU Council.

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