Orban's EU presidency derailed: Unauthorized diplomacy with Moscow

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has paralysed Hungary's presidency in the Council of the EU. Despite expectations that Budapest would be a reliable partner, the portal 24. hu commented on Thursday that many in the EU may feel deceived by the politician's recent activities.

"Hungarian diplomacy and public administration prepared for the presidency with great effort, wanting to prove that they can perform effective work," wrote 24.hu. However, the Hungarian Prime Minister thwarted these plans - it added.

After the government in Budapest presented the priorities of the presidency, which Orban discussed in Berlin, Rome, and Paris, there was hope for constructive cooperation in the EU. However, his unannounced visit to Moscow constitutes a “blatant overreach of the mandate given to the rotating presidency by the rest of the EU.”

Hungary assumed the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 July. A day later, Orban unexpectedly visited Kyiv and three days later to Moscow. Continuing his self-appointed "peace mission" concerning the war in Ukraine, he then travelled to Beijing, and at the NATO summit, he also spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

As highlighted by 24.hu, in materials promoting the "peace mission," Orban's government used the logo of the Hungarian presidency in the Council of the EU. However, they did not receive any authorisation from allies to conduct talks on behalf of the Community.

The presidency is more of an administrative, representative function rather than a political one, but even so, outside the EU, Orban is currently perceived as the leader of the whole Community," added 24.hu.

"Meanwhile, the Hungarian Prime Minister has little to do during the rotating presidency. His ministers, ambassadors, and experts do the work, while he gives a few speeches and hosts EU leaders in Budapest," notes 24.hu.