EU officials to boycott Hungarian presidency over Orbán’s visits to Moscow, Beijing

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Top EU officials will boycott Hungary’s six-month presidency of the European Council following Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s controversial visits to Moscow and Beijing, a spokesperson for the European Commission announced Monday.

“In light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian Presidency, the President (Ursula von der Leyen) has decided that @EU_Commission will be represented at senior civil servant level only during informal meetings of the Council,” the spokesperson posted on X.

The Commission has also called off the traditional inaugural visit that marks the start of each rotating presidency, he added.

EU foreign affairs ministers are also planning to boycott Hungary, holding their own foreign affairs summit in August rather than attend a meeting scheduled in Budapest. At a recent gathering of EU industry ministers in Budapest, only seven ministers attended, with many countries declining to send their top officials in protest over Orbán’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in early July.

EU officials have been “fuming” about Hungary’s claim to be representing the bloc on so-called “peace missions” to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, and Washington, Politico reported.