A reported plan by the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell to undermine Hungary is both “regrettable” and downright childish, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has said.
Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council and plans to hold an informal foreign affairs summit in late August. However, Politico reported this week that Borrell intends to convene a “formal” ministerial meeting at the same time, essentially obliging top officials to attend.
The apparent move to nullify the Budapest summit comes after numerous Western officials vented anger at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban over his tour to Russia, Ukraine, China, and the US aimed at resolving the conflict between Moscow and Kiev. Those officials characterized the trip as “irrelevant” and without Western backing.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Szijjarto said that he had yet to receive a letter from Borrell with an invitation to the purported Foreign Affairs Council meeting on August 28-29, adding that he had heard reports that his counterpart “tried to do some maneuvering.”
The minister said that this did not come as a surprise, as Borrell has overseen “the most unsuccessful period of European foreign policy” ever over the past five years.
“If he had sent a letter like that, I probably would have sent him a sand shovel back because this whole ‘I’m calling all my friends together, or you are calling them together’ is at the maturity level of a kindergartener,” Szijjarto stated.
The Hungarian diplomat called the need to engage in such petty behavior “more regrettable than outrageous” at a time when the EU is dealing with “much bigger problems,” apparently referring to the Ukraine conflict.
Szijjarto added that he was glad Borrell would be leaving his post soon. “Although I must tell you that… I have worked with three EU foreign policy high representatives, and each time one’s term expired I was sure that it couldn’t get worse, and I was always wrong,” he admitted.
Borrell is poised to be replaced by outgoing Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who is known for her hawkish stance on Russia and is an ardent supporter of military aid to Ukraine. Budapest meanwhile, has consistently called for a ceasefire, opposed arms shipments to Kiev and denounced sanctions against Moscow as ineffective and crippling to the EU economy.