In Brussels all attention is still focused on Viktor Orbán’s peace mission and the ‘appropriate’ measures to address the Hungarian Prime Minister’s ‘rogue’ diplomacy. In a recent development, 63 MEPs have sent an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, urging that Hungary be stripped of its EU voting rights, POLITICO reported.
According to the letter, PM Orbán ‘has already caused significant damage by exploiting and abusing the role of the Council Presidency.’ Orbán ‘undertook several diplomatic visits, notably to meet Putin in Russia and Xi Jinping in China, during which he
intentionally misrepresented his authority,’
the lawmakers wrote, calling on the Parliament to respond accordingly.
This is why, MEPs assert, ‘real action’ is needed, as Orbán’s behaviour has demonstrated that verbal condemnations have no effect. The letter was signed by MEPs from the European People’s Party (EPP), the liberal Renew, and the Greens.
As reported by Hungarian Conservative, Viktor Orbán embarked on an ambitious peace mission in early July, visiting Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, Washington, and the Mar-a-Lago residence of former US President and current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. The prime minister’s objective was to explore the positions of the parties directly or indirectly involved in the war, to provide the European Union with a realistic picture of the possibilities for peace and the necessary steps to achieve it. Critics in Brussels claim that Orbán attended these meetings in the capacity of the rotating president, although various officials in the Hungarian government insist that he participated as the prime minister of Hungary.
Since the beginning of the peace mission, various Brussels institutions have been considering how to retaliate against Hungary for Orbán’s ‘rogue’ diplomacy. Discussions have included the possibility of stripping Hungary of the presidency, advancing the Article 7 procedure—which could result in Hungary losing its voting rights—and boycotting events organized by the Hungarian presidency.
The latter could soon become a reality after the European Commission on Monday instructed its commissioners not to attend informal ministerial meetings during the Hungarian EU presidency, in protest of PM Orbán’s ‘diplomatic solo efforts’ over Ukraine. ‘In light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian Presidency, the President has decided that the European Commission will be represented at the senior civil servant level only during informal meetings of the Council,’ said European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer, according to Euractiv.
According to the statement by Mamer, formal meetings, which typically take place in Brussels and Luxembourg, will not be affected as their organisation does not depend on the rotating presidency.
Euractiv notes, however, that although these plans are already informally considered by many EU member states, EU diplomats caution that it might be
too early to take such a drastic step
and that it would require the full backing of all EU member states.
In response to the announcement by the European Commission, János Bóka, Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs, wrote on X : ‘The @EU_Commission cannot cherry-pick institutions and member states it wants to cooperate with.’ He added: ‘Are all #Commission decisions now based on political considerations?’
The #EU is an international organisation consituted by its Member States. The @EU_Commission is an institution of the EU. The @EU_Commission cannot cherry pick institutions & MSs it wants to cooperate with. Are all #Commission decisions now based on political considerations? 2/2
— Bóka János (@JanosBoka_HU) July 15, 2024
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