Focus on Ukraine and condemnation of Orban, Ecofin attacks Hungarian Presidency

Brussels – The agenda of the Ecofin Council meeting — including the new stability pact and the start of excessive deficit procedures against the seven countries, including Italy, with the most evident imbalances — finished on the back burner because of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s diplomatic mission to Russia for which the Hungarian Presidency on duty came under attack. Every minister takes the floor to criticize, dissociate, and call Budapest to order.
Sweden’s Finance Minister, Elisabeth Svantesson, shows up in Brussels intending not to gloss over what she considers “an insult to Ukraine and the other 26 member states” of the EU. She says she is “angry and saddened” by Orban’s trip to Moscow and promises to raise the issue in the debate. It was a quick comment to the cameras upon her arrival before the start of proceedings that followed the course promised by the Swede.

She is the first to speak after the presentation of the work program of the Hungarian Presidency. “Hungary at this time represents everyone, but it does not represent Sweden” as far as foreign policy is concerned, she says, frontally attacking Mihály Varga, president-in-office of the Ecofin. He tells him Sweden “does not rule out” boycotting the September 13 informal Ecofin scheduled in Budapest.

Sweden uncovers twelve-star Pandora’s box filled with disappointment and discontent. Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Cyprus, Romania, the Czech Republic, Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, and Croatia follow each other in what becomes an indictment of Hungary seen as uncaring about Ukraine and the positions of the Twenty-Seven bloc. Six delegations that do not take the floor (Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia, and Slovenia). In the end, 20 member states criticize the rotating Presidency.

“Hungary should know how to recognize the partners it is dealing with,” thunders German Finance Minister Christian Lindner. France’s Treasury Director General, Bertrand Dumont, reminds the Hungarians that, in Europe, “there is no room for unilateral actions.” Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti also has something to say to the Hungarians. “We must maintain the commitment to support Ukraine financially.” In this regard, he recalls the work and understandings “in the G7.”

Even harsher is the Cypriot Finance Minister, Makis Kervnos. “In a few days, we celebrate 50 years of military occupation of my country,” he emphasizes, recalling Turkey’s July 20, 1974 invasion of that part of the island now known as Northern Cyprus. “Cyprus is a military casualty, and I think we have to be clear about Ukraine.” Even Poland, until not too long ago a key ally of Viktor Orban’s Hungary, is picking on the Hungarians. “It is strange not to see Ukraine among the main working priorities of the Presidency,” jokes Deputy Finance Minister Paweł Karbownik. “Maybe it was an oversight.”

The climate around the table is anything but relaxed. There is general dissatisfaction with how Hungary is acting politically, which only exacerbates the institutional rift consummated with the European Commission’s decision to boycott the work and activities of the rotating Presidency of the EU Council. The message coming from all members at the Ecofin in Brussels is to keep Ukraine high on the agenda and “keep it high on the agenda, staying united in this war.” A litany that all ministers who took the floor repeated.

The President-in-office of Ecofin takes note, avoiding inflaming the situation, partly because it is a public session open to all. Varga merely assures that the Hungarian Presidency “stands ready to discuss the economic impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war” at every opportunity. But little appears to calm the furious partners.