Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s “peace trips” to Moscow and Beijing have received harsh criticism from other EU countries.
“It is absolutely unacceptable behavior to act in that way and make those kinds of trips. It is in no way an action sanctioned by the EU,” says Sweden’s Rural Affairs Minister Peter Kullgren (KD) on his way to the ministerial meeting with István Nagy, the first Hungarian to lead a formal ministerial meeting in Brussels during the country’s newly started presidency in the Council of Ministers.
Sweden and several other countries are protesting Orbán’s actions by not sending ministers but only officials to various informal meetings in Hungary this July.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also has a special plan so that countries can avoid the foreign and defense ministerial meeting to be held in Budapest at the end of August. According to information to the news site Politico Europe, Borrell simply wants to invite to a formal meeting in Brussels at the same time – and that would take precedence. The proposal will be discussed at ambassador level this week.
(July 15)