Hungary responds to Von der Leyen’s boycott by saying that it “cannot choose” which countries it cooperates with

15 Jul. () –

The Hungarian Minister for European Affairs, Bóka János, has rejected this Monday the decision of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, not to send commissioners to the informal meetings that Hungary holds on its territory during the six-month presidency of the EU Council because the Commission “cannot choose at will the institutions and member states with which it wants to cooperate.”

“The Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council in 2024 continues to want to cooperate sincerely with the EU member states and institutions. They have been invited to participate in the Presidency events to address common challenges. This task and responsibility is shared by all member states and institutions,” János said in a message posted on his social media account X.

“The EU is an international organisation made up of its member states. The Commission is an institution of the EU. The Commission cannot choose which institutions and member states it wants to cooperate with. Are all the Commission’s decisions now based on political considerations?” he asked.

Von der Leyen’s decision is a punishment that responds to the challenge of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who made a surprise trip to Moscow to oppose the EU’s position of unwavering support for Ukraine.

The announcement comes days after Sweden said its ministers would not attend informal meetings in protest, and other partners such as Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Poland indicated they were considering joining the boycott.