It’s official. EU Commission boycotts Hungarian presidency as Viktor Orban visits Moscow and Beijing

The European Commission has decided to boycott Hungary’s six-month presidency of the EU Council in response to Viktor Orban’s controversial trips to Moscow and Beijing.

These visits are often seen as an affront to the community group’s political solidarity.

“In light of recent developments marking the inauguration of the Hungarian presidency, the President (Ursula von der Leyen) has decided that the European Commission will only be represented by senior officials during informal Council meetings.Eric Mamer, a spokesman for the executive, announced it late Monday, according to Euronews.

“The visit to the Presidential College will not take placehe added, confirming that major events marking the start of each rotating presidency had been cancelled.

During a recent visit to Moscow, Orban met with President Vladimir Putin, who is wanted for war crimes, to discuss the war in Ukraine, which, in the words of the prime minister, “Start a dialogue on the shortest path to peace“.

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Days later, Russian troops bombed a children’s hospital in Kiev.

In Beijing, Orban praised President Xi Jinping’s “Chinese Peace Plan,” which the European Union has rejected as a “selective interpretation of international law” and blurring the line between aggressor and victim.

“China is the only world power that has been clearly committed to peace from the beginning”He said he ignored Western concerns that Beijing was supporting Russia’s war economy.

Budapest insists Orban’s two visits, as part of a so-called “peace mission,” were carried out strictly within the framework of bilateral diplomacy. But the timing of the international matches, the choice of countries and the use of the official emblem of the Hungarian presidency have raised harsh accusations of abuse of power and disloyalty.

Separately, Orban’s attendance at an informal summit of Turkish state groups, including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognized only by Turkey, sparked further condemnation. Since then, speculation about a coordinated boycott has swirled in Brussels, with one diplomat telling Euronews that the plan was to “make Orban less visible.”

The Commission decision by President Ursula von der Leyen confirms rumors: Brussels will not participate at the highest level in many of the events that Budapest planned to host until the end of the year.

The official ministerial meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg will not be affected, as their organization does not depend on the rotating presidency. The traditional visit of the College of Commissioners to mark the start of a new rotating presidency will not take place at any time.

However, von der Leyen may still attend the informal summit of EU leaders scheduled for November in Budapest. Hungarian Minister of European Affairs János Boca responded to the news, saying that the Hungarian president remains “committed to sincere cooperation” to meet “common challenges”:

“The European Union is an international organization made up of its member states. The European Commission is an institution of the European Union,” Boca said on social media.

“The European Commission cannot choose the institutions and member states it wants to work with. Are all decisions of the Commission now based on political considerations?” The boycott comes as 63 MEPs, led by Estonian lawmaker Riho Terras, sent a letter calling for Hungary to be stripped of its Article 7 voting rights in retaliation for Orban’s “abuse of power”.

“Such an action amounts to a usurpation of the powers and prerogatives of EU member states in the field of foreign policy,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Presidents Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel and Roberta Metzora.

“We call on you to take decisive action as soon as possible to limit further damage not only to the credibility of the entire European Union, but also to the current geopolitical situation,” They continued. “Practice has shown that simple verbal condemnation of this situation is ineffective.“

Hungary will serve as the rotating presidency from July 1 to December 31.

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