Orban's EU presidency sparks controversy with Russia, China visits
It has been just ten days since Hungary's EU presidency started, and Viktor Orban has already initiated two major provocations. The Hungarian Prime Minister appears to be attempting to discredit the European Union. As reported in Thursday's "Rzeczpospolita," the expected response is his isolation.
6:54 AM EDT, July 11, 2024
The day after taking over the six-month presidency of the EU Council on July 1, Orban visited Kyiv. This was his first trip to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. The meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky was well-received in the West. Still, three days later, the Hungarian Prime Minister went to Moscow for talks with Russia's dictator, Vladimir Putin, which met with sharp criticism from allies.
On Monday, the head of the Hungarian government made another unannounced visit, this time to Beijing, from where he flew to the US for a NATO summit in Washington, DC. Poland demanded a meeting regarding Hungary's conduct during its rotating presidency of the EU. On Wednesday, the ambassadors of the member states discussed the matter. Everyone, except Slovakia, criticized Orban. It has been just ten days since the start of Hungary's presidency, and Viktor Orbán has already decided on two significant provocations - reports "Rzeczpospolita."
In February 2022, Orban was in Moscow. Two weeks later, Russia attacked Ukraine. Now he has visited Moscow again, and a few days later, Russia bombed a children's hospital. He is not a guardian of peace but of war, says Manfred Weber, a German Christian Democrat and chairman of the European People's Party, quoted by the newspaper.
Orban's political isolation
There have been voices suggesting that due to the behavior of the Hungarian Prime Minister, the EU Council might take away Hungary's presidency and give it to Poland. However, this is unlikely. In Brussels, the prevailing opinion is that in the coming months, apart from staging a political show, Orban will not pose a threat to the EU. The approach to him is intended to be political isolation, for example, by sending lower-ranking officials from EU states to meetings in Budapest - reports "Rzeczpospolita."
Let's stand up to him. But at the same time, let's not exaggerate, let's not focus on him, says an anonymous European Parliament interlocutor to the newspaper.
As "Rzeczpospolita" notes, Orban synchronized his visits to Moscow and Beijing with the initiative to create a new political group in the EP, which brings together the far right. The French National Rally leads the way, but everyone talks about Orban's group, not Le Pen's. The Hungarian Prime Minister is leading a right-wing crusade in the EU, reads the newspaper.
