Borrell punishes Orbán’s “disloyalty”: no informal Defence Council in Hungary moved to Brussels

Brussels – Following the European Commission’s choice to boycott informal meetings of EU ministers scheduled to take place in Hungary between now and December, a new diplomatic discourtesy between European leaders and Budapest. The High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, has decided that  Viktor Orbán will not host the informal Foreign and Defense Council, the so-called Gymnich. The summit will be held in Brussels. “Being against the EU and disqualifying its foreign policy” as Hungary has done “must have consequences, formal and symbolic,” Borrell harshly explained.

The Magyar prime minister went on a collision course with Brussels as soon as he took over the reins of the EU Council from July 1 for Hungary’s six-month presidency. With his peace mission to Moscow and Beijing, he has embarrassed the EU and its unconditional support for Kyiv and Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposed peace formula. Borrell’s decision today collides with the viewpoint expressed in the morning, upon his arrival in Brussels for the Foreign Affairs Council, by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, that “the common-sense Italian position” would prevail: “One should never mix the political and the institutional position,” explained Tajani, convinced of the importance of going to Budapest on August 28–29.

The Hungarian government’s reaction came immediately, entrusted to spokesman Zoltan Kovacs. In a post on X, Kovacs reported the words of the foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, who reportedly said he faced “aggressive and belligerent hysteria” from his European counterparts. Szijjártó also allegedly called the attempt to “undermine” the informal Gymnich meeting planned in Budapest “infantile”, declaring that “Hungary is ready to host the meeting, but is also willing to participate if it is held in Brussels.”