European Union countries may respond to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s visit to Russia with a boycott of the organisation’s ministerial meetings organised by Hungary, Politico reported citing EU diplomats.
According to Politico, Hungary’s representative to the EU, Balint Odor, faced harsh criticism from his colleagues at a closed two-hour meeting on 10 July. One participant called the statements made unprecedented. Several EU ambassadors “threatened” Hungary with “real consequences” if Viktor Orban continues on his current course, two EU diplomats told the publication.
“The most urgent option could be a boycott of informal ministerial meetings organised by Budapest,” the paper said.
The publication noted that a number of ambassadors on 10 July had already expressed support for a boycott of the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers at the end of August. The first meeting of the European Council in Hungary on 9 July was attended by only 7 of the 27 countries of the confederation, not counting the hosts of the event, Politico pointed out.
According to the publication, Orban could face even worse consequences if he continues his political course with politicians unacceptable to Brussels.
“Given the rapid escalation of the situation around Budapest in the first two weeks of his presidency, no one rules out further resistance from Brussels if Orban crosses new red lines, such as his dealings with former US President Donald Trump,” the piece concluded.
We will remind, earlier the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin said that the Prime Ministers of Slovakia and Hungary Robert Fico and Viktor Orban are “pro-national” politicians.
