What is behind Viktor Orbán’s trips: are they pure provocation or useful diplomacy? The Prime Minister of Hungary, who currently holds the Presidency of the EU Council, considers himself a mediator.
Hungary has only been occupying the Presidency of the Council of the EU and there are already tensions and worries. The reason is the trips of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán.
kyiv, Moscow and now beijing are the stops on Orbán’s trip so far, which he summarizes under the title “Peace Mission 3.0“.
EU representatives and heads of government of other EU states emphasize that Orbán does not represent the European Union on his trips, but only travels as Hungarian Prime Minister. For example, German Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck distanced himself from Orbán’s visit to Beijing.
Habeck told Welt television that Orban had traveled to China “as head of the Hungarian government and not as a representative of Europe.” Hungarian politics “very often does not represent the central idea of the European Unionthat is, liberality at home and European self-confidence abroad, but sometimes seeks too close a proximity to, in my opinion, the wrong political leaders“Habeck said.
“Clear violations of EU positions”
Hungary expert from the German Marshall Fund think tank Daniel Hegedüs reminds us that Orbán’s way of thinking is influenced by post-communism.
“If you stop taking an empire or an alliance seriously and laugh about it, that’s the end. What we’re seeing here is a strategic campaign to ridicule the European Union and show that Prime Minister Orbán is taking all these uncoordinated measures, violations of the common and agreed positions of the EU, which can be carried out and there is no need to fear negative consequences,” explains Hegedüs.
Because Orbán knows that, on the one hand, he is expanding his future margin of action and his future political autonomy and, on the other hand, he is also seriously undermining the perception of EU foreign policy between important partners.
Do Orbán’s trips help Ukraine?
The Hungarian Prime Minister claims that he is the only European leader who can talk to Putin.
When asked if Orbán could really contribute anything to the peace process between Russia and Ukraine, the Hungarian expert is skeptical. “Prime Minister Orbán is the only European Head of State or Government who is willing to talk to Mr. Putin. This is a violation. It goes against the basic principle jointly established by EU Member States that the future of Ukraine will not be discussed without their direct participation in the talks. So it’s not the capacity, it’s just the will“says Hagedus.
He does not see any positive contribution of this type of travel diplomacy to the solution of the problem of war in Ukraine, because would require the participation of all partners.
The EU is free to respond to Viktor Orbán’s provocations. It is conceivable, for example, that Hungarian EU presidency could be shortened. The question is whether Member States are willing to follow this path. EU ambassadors will seek explanations at a meeting next Wednesday.
