Pro-War Brussels Terrified of Viktor Orban's Peace Mission and EU Presidency

The Hungarian EU presidency started less than two weeks ago, but it has already been up against countless obstacles from leaders in Brussels who are fighting tooth and nail to shut it down.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (center) arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington DC, on July 9, 2024. The Prime Minister will be attending the NATO summit in the US capital from July 9-11. (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)

Nem telik el olyan nap, hogy ne ütközne akadályba a soros magyar elnökség a július elsejei kezdete óta. A háborúpárti brüsszeli politikusoknak nem tetszik, hogy Orbán Viktor a béke üzenetét viszi, akárhova utazik, hiszen az teljesen ellentmond a háborús propagandájuknak. Egyes források szerint az újraválasztására váró Ursula von der Leyen, az Európai Bizottság elnöke „rendkívül elégedetlen” Orbán Viktor békemissziójával. 

Not a day goes by that Hungary's turn at the helm of the Council of EU has not run into an obstacle since it took over on July 1. The pro-war politicians in Brussels don't like the fact that the Hungarian prime minister carries the message of peace wherever he travels, as it runs completely counter to their warmongering propaganda. According to some sources, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is awaiting re-election, is "extremely dissatisfied" with Viktor Orban's peace mission.

Von der Leyen has been tearing her hair out in rage over the Hungarian prime minister's message of dialogue and peace, which is the opposite of the bellicose hysteria of the European Union,

said Florian Philippot, head of France's Patriots (LP) party. He added that France should withdraw from the European Union, which he just considers a war machine.

This could be the reason why no representatives of the European Commission attended the ministerial meeting organized by Hungary. Asked by a journalist, the country's Economy Minister Marton Nagy said he did not know why no one from the Commission had turned up, but that the Hungarian government had invited everyone and the door was open. Furthermore, as reported by Magyar Nemzet, as things currently stand, Viktor Orban will be denied the opportunity to address the next plenary session of the European Parliament (EP), which will be held in Strasbourg from July 16-19, as the presidency simply "did not find a time slot" for him in the agenda. This despite it being the customary practice for the PM of the member state taking over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU to present his six-month program at the plenary session.

It is therefore no surprise that Brussels is actually plotting to take the rotating presidency of the European Union away from Hungary.

The Council buildings have been given a Hungarian makeover! @HU24EU presents the work of prominent Hungarian designers, along with contemporary paintings and sculptures and a hologram installation.

Take a look ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/3PNkt5MrAv

— EU Council (@EUCouncil) July 10, 2024

According to Politico, EU ambassadors will discuss the presidency and Orban's recent trips at their meeting Wednesday in Brussels, in a first sign that EU officials could move from mere public condemnations to concrete action to restrain Budapest’s presidency. Some sources say Germany and the Baltics, others say Poland are driving the demand for curtailing as they believe the Hungarian prime minister's meetings are distracting attention from the main focus, which they insist is Ukraine's victory and its EU and NATO membership.

Members of the Hungarian government have repeatedly stressed that although Mr Orban is PM of the country heading the rotating EU Presidency, he is not embarking on his peace mission on behalf of the European Union.

The Brussels-based news portal itself is reluctant to admit that the peace mission could lead to the end of the Russia-Ukraine war, instead mocking the Hungarian prime minister's peace ambitions by comparing Viktor Orban to a cat on methamphetamines.

But the Brussels leaders want to go even further than just thwarting the Hungarian EU presidency. According to the author of an opinion piece in the German newspaper Bild, the prime minister should have been denied entry to the NATO summit in Washington, for risk of sharing secret information with Moscow.

Hungary's European Union Affairs Minister Janos Boka at a press conference in Brussels said that despite the circumstances and the barrage of fire from Brussels, the informal ministerial meetings held so far have been successful, and that the EU environment, justice and interior ministers will be having talks in Hungary before the end of the month.

The minister also stated that he is confident that the objectives of the Hungarian EU presidency can be achieved, thus enriching the work of the European Union.

Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (center) arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington DC, on July 9, 2024. The Prime Minister will be attending the NATO summit in the US capital from July 9-11. (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)