Peace missions etc.

63 MEPs call for the end of Hungary’s presidency

From left: Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Russia's President Vladimir Putin

(Bild: APA/AP)

63 MEPs have sent a letter to the head of the EU calling for Hungary's government to be stripped of its voting rights in the Council. "The Hungarian Presidency has only just begun and Prime Minister Orbán has already done considerable damage," it says.

Hungary's presidency of the Council of the EU began on July 1. Prime Minister Orbán has "exploited and abused the role of the Council Presidency", MEPs said. Among them are Helmut Brandstätter and Anna Stürgkh from the NEOS and Lukas Mandl from the ÖVP.

The letter criticizes Orbán's self-proclaimed "peace missions" since the beginning of July, in particular to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Chinese head of state Xi Jinping in Beijing (see video above). In doing so, the Hungarian has "deliberately misrepresented his powers" and "deliberately created the impression that he is acting on behalf of the entire EU." He also undermined common EU positions, for example with regard to an arms stand in Ukraine.

Hungary's government has repeatedly blocked decisions to support Ukraine in recent months.

"Condemnation has no effect"
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President Charles Michel and Parliament President Roberta Metsola are called upon in the letter to do everything in their power to revoke Hungary's voting rights. "Mere verbal condemnations" would not work. "In his travels, Orbán is not only abusing his role, but also jeopardizing the unity of the European Union (...). It is now urgent that we act (...) to preserve the integrity and ability to act of our Union," said signatory Helmut Brandstätter.

In his travels, Orbán is not only abusing his role, but also jeopardizing the unity of the European Union.

Helmut Brandstätter, NEOS-EU-Abgeordneter

Never before has an EU country been deprived of its voting rights. The prerequisite for this is a unanimous decision by the other member states. The European Parliament, which was elected at the beginning of June, meets for the first time in Strasbourg on Tuesday.