The European Union’s recent actions regarding Hungary’s presidency of the Council of the European Union have stirred controversy. Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Ukraine peace mission has prompted criticism from both EU leaders and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leading to discussions about possibly removing Hungary from its position within the bloc.
Budapest is currently in possession of the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, which is responsible for defining the overall political direction and priorities of the bloc. In early 2022, Prime Minister Orban embarked on a self-described Ukraine “peace mission” in an attempt to resolve the ongoing conflict by engaging in talks with what he deemed the “five main actors”: Ukraine, Russia, China, the EU, and the US. During this peace effort, Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, causing outrage among various European Union leaders.
Erdogan recalled a meeting with Orban on the sidelines of a NATO summit held earlier this month in Washington. The Hungarian Prime Minister had shared his intentions to also meet with then-United States presidential hopeful Donald Trump, according to Erdogan.
The next day, they started to criticize Viktor Orban intensely. They said, ‘He said this, he said that, we do not agree with what Viktor said, what he said is not true.’ Mr. Orban went to Moscow, as you know, and they criticized him. He went to China and criticized him in the same way,” Turkish daily Hürriyet newspaper quoted Erdogan as saying.
In response to Orban’s Moscow visit, the European Parliament condemned his actions, referring to them as a “blatant violation of the EU’s treaties and common foreign policy.” Newly re-elected European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen criticized Orban’s trip by labeling it an “appeasement mission.
Erdogan went on to claim that some members within the European Union are now calculating how they can remove Hungary from its position as President of the Council. This comes after Moscow stated last week that the EU’s criticism of Orban over his Ukraine peace initiative demonstrates Brussels’ determination to support Ukraine militarily, with pro-war policies remaining unchanged.
During their meeting in Washington, Orban urged Erdogan to join him in seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. In a recent interview, the Turkish President expressed hope that they would work together when the appropriate time comes. However, it remains to be seen whether Hungary’s current position within the Council of the European Union will remain unchanged amidst ongoing tensions and criticism from both EU leaders and international figures alike.