The Finnish Foreign Minister, Elina Valtonen, has recently raised concerns about whether Hungary should remain a member of the European Union due to its increasingly divergent values.
Unacceptable Representation
Valtonen’s comments were made during a briefing following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, as reported by TASS.
"It is unacceptable for Hungary to present itself as a representative of the EU or to give that impression while traveling to places like Moscow and Beijing. An individual country can express its own views, but not while presiding over the EU," Valtonen emphasized.
This issue came to the forefront after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow on July 5. Following this visit, German officials stated that Orban's actions undermined the European Union's efforts to show unity on the issue of Ukraine.
Upcoming Presidency
The European Union has labeled Orban’s trips to Russia and China as unacceptable. The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, called for a discussion on what to do about Hungary’s upcoming presidency of the EU Council in the coming months. In response, Budapest claimed that Brussels’ criticism of Orban’s peace initiative on Ukraine was driven by envy.
Orban's recent diplomatic engagements have stirred significant controversy within the EU. His meetings in Moscow and Beijing come at a time when the EU is striving to present a united front in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Critics argue that Hungary’s actions are at odds with the broader EU stance and could potentially weaken the union's collective diplomatic efforts.
