Hungary has just completed eleven days as President of the European Union. During the next six months of the Hungarian presidency, several informal summits are planned in Budapest. Normally ministers are delegated there, but at least Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland are suitable for this. They only send senior officials. According to Sweden, other EU member states are also considering this kind of “ministerial boycott”.
Orbán visited Moscow, as well as Ukraine, the day after Hungary assumed the presidency of the European Union. This immediately provoked the anger of, among others, the European Commission and the president of the European Council, where government leaders meet. Not only was his action alone criticised, but also the fact that Orbán pretended to be on a trip as EU president.
Trust is gone
Although Orbán denies it, the logo of Hungary’s EU presidency is included in messages and videos on social media about his “peace mission”.
The Hungarian prime minister is “abusing the presidency and hijacking it for his own purposes,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said at the NATO summit in Washington. Trust in Orbán has “completely disappeared,” according to his Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo. De Croo’s Belgium has held the presidency for the past six months and “trust has to be earned every day.” I can only conclude that he is now really in the basement.
