EU set to confront Orbán over Russia ties after election loss
Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (Getty Images)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has lost the election, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen still plans to raise the issue of his ties to Moscow directly before EU leaders, Hungarian outlet Telex reported.
Summit in Cyprus
Orbán has been invited to an informal EU summit in Cyprus on April 23–24.
President of the European Council António Costa sent out invitations on Tuesday for the informal meeting of EU heads of state and government, which will take place in Cyprus on April 23–24.
The agenda includes three key topics:
- the global geopolitical situation;
- the conflict in the Middle East;
- the EU’s seven-year joint budget.
According to the plan, on the evening of April 23, leaders will hear from Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, regarding Russia’s invasion. It is not specified whether this will be in person or via video link, as both formats have been used before.
Orbán to face questions over leaked talks
Beyond the official agenda, another issue may arise at the summit — the scandal surrounding negotiations between the Hungarian and Russian governments.
Last week, European Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho said that the released recordings and information about these talks “highlight a troubling possibility that a member state government” acted in coordination with Russia.
“They actively acted against the interests and security of the EU and all its citizens,” the Commission said in describing Hungary’s actions.
Pinho promised that von der Leyen would raise the issue with EU leaders. On Tuesday, a Commission spokesperson confirmed that she would continue to press the matter at the leadership level, though it was not specified whether this would happen at the informal summit.
“The government of the member state concerned must urgently provide explanations,” Pinho added.
Last chance to question Orbán
The next official EU summit is scheduled for June 18 — significantly later than when Orbán is expected to step down following his election defeat.
Therefore, the April summit in Cyprus could be the last opportunity for EU leaders to address the scandal with Hungary’s current prime minister.
As previously reported, at the end of March, audio recordings of phone conversations between Hungary’s foreign minister Péter Szijjártó and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were leaked online.
The discussions reportedly included lifting EU sanctions on several influential Russians, including the sister of oligarch Alisher Usmanov. Seven months later, she was indeed removed from the sanctions list.
Days before the election, another wave of leaked conversations emerged.
In them, Szijjártó allegedly agreed to pass documents related to Ukraine’s EU accession to the Russian side, while also discussing sanctions against Russia and details of talks between Donald Trump and the Kremlin leader in Alaska.
Meanwhile, after Orbán’s defeat, opposition leader Péter Magyar claimed that Szijjártó was destroying documents related to sanctions against Russia inside the Foreign Ministry building, comparing it to the destruction of archives during communist times.
