Brussels, July 16, 2024, The Europe Today: The executive arm of the European Union in Brussels has announced a partial boycott of Hungary’s 06 Months presidency of the European Council in response to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s self-styled “peace mission.” The mission commenced at the start of the month with visits to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, and Washington for a NATO summit, followed by a meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida.
This tour marked Orban’s first visit to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion, despite Hungary sharing a border with Ukraine. He characterized the trip as a peace mission, presenting himself as one of the few EU and NATO leaders capable of maintaining productive dialogues with Moscow and negotiating with all sides. However, his actions have drawn sharp criticism from other EU member states and Hungary’s NATO allies.
Partial boycott of Hungary’s 06 Months presidency
The European Commission announced on Monday that it would only send high-ranking officials to informal meetings during Hungary’s presidency, excluding the EU’s 27 Commissioners, including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her subordinates.
“In light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian Presidency, [Ursula von der Leyen] has decided that the European Commission will be represented at senior civil servant level only during the informal meetings of the Council,” von der Leyen’s spokesman Eric Mamer said. “The College visit to the Presidency will not take place,” Mamer added, referring to the customary six-monthly meeting of all Commissioners in the capital of the country holding the rotating role.
Several EU member states close to Russia have already taken similar steps. Last week, Sweden announced that it, along with Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, would not be sending ministers to government meetings linked to Hungary’s EU presidency during July, in protest of Orban’s talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Swedish Minister for EU Affairs Jessika Roswall indicated that other EU members were considering similar actions.
In response, Hungary criticized the EU’s decision, arguing that the rotating presidency is meant to give all member states an equal opportunity to lead. “The EU is an international organization constituted by its member states. The European Commission is an institution of the EU,” Hungarian Minister for European Affairs Janos Boka wrote on social media. “The European Commission cannot cherry-pick institutions and member states it wants to cooperate with. Are all Commission decisions now based on political considerations?” he asked.
The European Council presidency, held by each member state in rotation for six months, is an integral part of the EU’s political structure, allowing the presiding country to somewhat steer the agenda and decide what issues are prioritized during its tenure. However, Hungary’s 06 Months presidency has been met with apprehension due to Orban’s handling of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since 2022.
