Fuming EU partners to show Hungary PM ‘yellow card’
By AFP
Published July 9, 2024
Hungary is raising the hackles of its EU partners with a go-it-alone diplomatic initiative on Ukraine by its prime minister, Viktor Orban, slammed by Brussels as rogue troublemaking.
The anger is all the more acute because Hungary has just taken on the rotating EU presidency — and Orban’s bilateral visit to Russia last week was misrepresented both by him and President Vladimir Putin as conducted under the European Union flag.
Hungary’s allies will air their grievances on Wednesday, when EU ambassadors hold a regular meeting in Brussels, and likely also during this week’s NATO summit in Washington that Orban is attending.
“Many EU member states will share their dissatisfaction, which is quite wide and deep, with Orban’s recent visits and actions,” one EU diplomat told AFP.
“Orban is trolling and playing games… We want to show him a yellow card and say we see through his games,” said another.
“Tensions are high,” agreed a third diplomat, all of whom were granted anonymity to speak more freely.
Hungary’s partners are incensed that Orban used the EU presidency logo during back-to-back bilateral trips to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing — a blurring of lines that drew sharp reprimands from Brussels.
“Viktor Orban in no way represents the EU or the EU’s positions,” Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s prime minister and the nominee to be the bloc’s next foreign policy chief, wrote on X.
“He is exploiting the EU presidency position to sow confusion,” Kallas wrote.
– Thorn in EU’s side –
Orban, the EU leader friendliest to Putin and a populist who models himself on Donald Trump, is a longtime thorn in Brussels’ side for his government’s stances running contrary to the bloc’s democratic principles and rule of law.
The slogan Orban’s government chose for its six-month EU presidency is “Make Europe Great Again” — taken directly from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” motto.
The Hungarian leader has repeatedly blocked or hindered EU consensus on helping Ukraine fight Russia’s all-out invasion since 2022 — making it all the more galling for many that he is embarking on a self-described “peace mission”.
On day one of Budapest’s presidency, on July 1, Orban made an unannounced trip to Ukraine to speak with President Volodymyr Zelensky, then, on his own initiative, flew to Moscow days later to see Putin.
According to a letter Orban sent afterwards to European Council President Charles Michel and shared with member countries, Putin said he was open “to any ceasefire proposal that does not serve the hidden relocation and reorganisation of Ukrainian forces”.
Putin also said he had “detailed plans” on what the “new European architecture” should look like after an end to the war, but Orban’s letter — seen by AFP — gave no details.
Despite no mention of Russia’s role as the aggressor, the Hungarian leader opined there was “a greater chance” Putin would entertain ceasefire proposals. Orban said he intended to pursue his solitary mission “next week”.
Despite sharp EU and US criticism of his Moscow trip, Orban followed up with a surprise visit to Beijing to see President Xi Jinping on Monday this week.
Xi told Orban that “only when all major powers exert positive energy rather than negative energy can the dawn of a ceasefire in this conflict appear,” according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
Hungary, a former Soviet country with a population of 9.6 million, is not considered a major power even within the European Union, which it joined in 2004.
EU lawmaker Marcin Kierwinski, who hails from Poland’s ruling party, said on social media platform X that “the Hungarian presidency risks being the first in the European Union’s history where Putin will know big decisions before even the European Commission.”
– Reprimands and snubs –
For all the ire over Orban’s solo initiatives, there may be little that EU institutions or member countries can do beyond publicly rebuking Budapest or offering snubs.
“Several member countries — Poland, Germany, the Baltics — want to lay down lines (and) several things are on the table, but nothing concrete for now,” said one diplomat.
They added that Hungary could see “boycotts” of some meetings it chairs under the bloc’s presidency.
In parallel with the presidency, Orban has launched a far-right faction in the European Parliament to promote his anti-immigrant, eurosceptic views — the Patriots for Europe, joined by France’s far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen on Monday.
The parliament is delaying the traditional speech by the EU presidency leader, pushing back Orban’s moment to sometime in September — ostensibly to focus on nominees for the European Commission following elections last month, parliament officials said.
But as for the hypothesis member countries could vote to shorten Hungary’s six-month hold on the EU presidency and hand it to the next in line — Poland — a diplomat dismissed that as “mere speculation”.
By AFP
Published July 9, 2024
Hungary is raising the hackles of its EU partners with a go-it-alone diplomatic initiative on Ukraine by its prime minister, Viktor Orban, slammed by Brussels as rogue troublemaking.
The anger is all the more acute because Hungary has just taken on the rotating EU presidency — and Orban’s bilateral visit to Russia last week was misrepresented both by him and President Vladimir Putin as conducted under the European Union flag.
Hungary’s allies will air their grievances on Wednesday, when EU ambassadors hold a regular meeting in Brussels, and likely also during this week’s NATO summit in Washington that Orban is attending.
“Many EU member states will share their dissatisfaction, which is quite wide and deep, with Orban’s recent visits and actions,” one EU diplomat told AFP.
“Orban is trolling and playing games… We want to show him a yellow card and say we see through his games,” said another.
“Tensions are high,” agreed a third diplomat, all of whom were granted anonymity to speak more freely.
Hungary’s partners are incensed that Orban used the EU presidency logo during back-to-back bilateral trips to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing — a blurring of lines that drew sharp reprimands from Brussels.
“Viktor Orban in no way represents the EU or the EU’s positions,” Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s prime minister and the nominee to be the bloc’s next foreign policy chief, wrote on X.
“He is exploiting the EU presidency position to sow confusion,” Kallas wrote.
– Thorn in EU’s side –
Orban, the EU leader friendliest to Putin and a populist who models himself on Donald Trump, is a longtime thorn in Brussels’ side for his government’s stances running contrary to the bloc’s democratic principles and rule of law.
The slogan Orban’s government chose for its six-month EU presidency is “Make Europe Great Again” — taken directly from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” motto.
The Hungarian leader has repeatedly blocked or hindered EU consensus on helping Ukraine fight Russia’s all-out invasion since 2022 — making it all the more galling for many that he is embarking on a self-described “peace mission”.
On day one of Budapest’s presidency, on July 1, Orban made an unannounced trip to Ukraine to speak with President Volodymyr Zelensky, then, on his own initiative, flew to Moscow days later to see Putin.
According to a letter Orban sent afterwards to European Council President Charles Michel and shared with member countries, Putin said he was open “to any ceasefire proposal that does not serve the hidden relocation and reorganisation of Ukrainian forces”.
Putin also said he had “detailed plans” on what the “new European architecture” should look like after an end to the war, but Orban’s letter — seen by AFP — gave no details.
Despite no mention of Russia’s role as the aggressor, the Hungarian leader opined there was “a greater chance” Putin would entertain ceasefire proposals. Orban said he intended to pursue his solitary mission “next week”.
Despite sharp EU and US criticism of his Moscow trip, Orban followed up with a surprise visit to Beijing to see President Xi Jinping on Monday this week.
Xi told Orban that “only when all major powers exert positive energy rather than negative energy can the dawn of a ceasefire in this conflict appear,” according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
Hungary, a former Soviet country with a population of 9.6 million, is not considered a major power even within the European Union, which it joined in 2004.
EU lawmaker Marcin Kierwinski, who hails from Poland’s ruling party, said on social media platform X that “the Hungarian presidency risks being the first in the European Union’s history where Putin will know big decisions before even the European Commission.”
– Reprimands and snubs –
For all the ire over Orban’s solo initiatives, there may be little that EU institutions or member countries can do beyond publicly rebuking Budapest or offering snubs.
“Several member countries — Poland, Germany, the Baltics — want to lay down lines (and) several things are on the table, but nothing concrete for now,” said one diplomat.
They added that Hungary could see “boycotts” of some meetings it chairs under the bloc’s presidency.
In parallel with the presidency, Orban has launched a far-right faction in the European Parliament to promote his anti-immigrant, eurosceptic views — the Patriots for Europe, joined by France’s far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen on Monday.
The parliament is delaying the traditional speech by the EU presidency leader, pushing back Orban’s moment to sometime in September — ostensibly to focus on nominees for the European Commission following elections last month, parliament officials said.
But as for the hypothesis member countries could vote to shorten Hungary’s six-month hold on the EU presidency and hand it to the next in line — Poland — a diplomat dismissed that as “mere speculation”.
Euractiv.com with Reuters
A big screen shows Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured), in Beijing, China, 8 July 2024. Hungarian Orban is visiting China to meet President Xi Jinping. [EPA-EFE/WU HAO]
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday (8 July) to discuss a potential Ukraine peace deal, paying the unexpected visit to Beijing days after his talks with Russia’s Vladimir Putin angered some European Union leaders.
Orbán and Xi met at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing, Chinese state media reported, for what Orbán described as the third leg of a “peace mission” that he has undertaken without the backing of the European Commission or Ukraine.
While Hungary just assumed the EU’s rotating presidency this month, Orbán has already met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and been received by the Kremlin, a trip that drew a strong rebuke from his allies.
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“Peace Mission 3.0.,” Orbán, a critic of Western military aid to Ukraine and the EU leader with the warmest relations with Xi and Putin, said on his official X account as he touched down in Beijing.
China, which has close ties to Russia, has been promoting a six-point peace plan it issued with Brazil in May, proposing an international peace conference “at a proper time” and calling for equal participation by both Ukraine and Russia.
Putin backs China's Ukraine peace plan, says Beijing understands the conflict
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an interview published early on Wednesday (15 May), said he backed China’s plan for a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis, saying Beijing had a full understanding of what lay behind the crisis.
Ukraine is hoping to win broad global backing for its proposals on how to end the war with Russia before beginning discussions with Putin, holding a huge international summit last month in Switzerland to which Moscow was not invited.
But Kyiv’s aim of ostracising Russia is meeting resistance. China sat out the Swiss meeting and has won backing from Moscow for its own peace plan. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now in Moscow, with Ukraine likely to be on the agenda.
India's Modi hugs Putin on first Russia visit since Ukraine offensive
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew into Moscow on Monday (8 July) and warmly hugged President Vladimir Putin on a visit that treads a fine line between maintaining a longstanding relationship with Moscow and courting closer Western security ties.
“The international community should create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue and negotiations between the two sides and provide assistance,” Xi told Orbán, according to Chinese state media.
“It is in the interests of all parties to seek a political solution through an early ceasefire,” he added.
Orbán said China was “a key power in creating the conditions for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war”, giving that as the reason for his meeting with Xi just two months after the Chinese leader visited Budapest.
The Kremlin said that Russia appreciated Orbán’s efforts to clarify positions in resolving the conflict.
Zelenskyy said Orbán could not act as a mediator, a task he said could only be undertaken by world powers.
“Are there many such countries around the world? Not many. I believe the US and China are such countries. And the EU, not one country, but the whole EU,” Zelenskyy said during a visit to Poland.
NATO summit
Orbán’s trip to China comes days ahead of a NATO summit in Washington, D.C. that will address providing further support to Ukraine and which he is due to attend.
Hungary’s leader also comes to China fresh off the European Commission confirming last week that it will impose tariffs of up to 37.6% on imports of electric vehicles made in China.
Hungary looks to 'de-escalate' EU-China trade tensions while Commission distances itself from Orbán's Beijing trip
“We should seek to maintain and strengthen cooperation with as many countries and market players around the world as possible,” Hungary’s Ambassador to the EU, Bálint Ódor, told Euractiv in an interview.
The central European country has become an important trade and investment partner for China, in contrast with other EU nations seeking to become less dependent on Beijing.
While Beijing threatens to impose retaliatory anti-dumping measures against European pork imports, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign affairs and trade minister, told Hungarian state media the two sides had negotiated an agreement on relaunching pork and poultry exports to China.
Chinese companies at the forefront of the electromobility transition would also continue to make investments in Hungary that would create about 25,000 jobs, he added.
EU trade policy has turned increasingly protective over concerns that China’s production-focused development model could see it flooded with cheap goods as Chinese firms look to step up exports amid weak domestic demand.
China’s electric vehicles have become a particular cause for concern because Brussels claims they benefit from unfair state subsidies, an allegation Beijing rejects.
While some EU leaders have been quick to say Hungary’s EU presidency does not mean Orbán represents the 27-strong bloc, Xi told Orbán that China hoped Hungary would “play an active role” in developing China-EU relations.
In Germany, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said Orbán does not speak for Europe and that Hungary’s politics often do not represent the core of EU thinking.
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