EU Commissioners Will Not Attend Hungary Meetings Over Ukraine Issues

The European Commission has instructed its Commissioners to refrain from attending informal ministerial meetings during Hungary's EU presidency, which began on July 1. This decision is a response to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's independent diplomatic actions regarding Ukraine, as confirmed by Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer. The Commission will only be represented at the senior civil servant level for these informal gatherings, while formal meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg will proceed unaffected. Despite the Commission's protest, EU member states have yet to devise concrete measures to address Hungary's actions beyond expressing discontent. The only notable response has been a reduction in ministerial representation at some informal meetings held recently. The upcoming informal EU foreign affairs minister meeting, scheduled for August 28-29, may also see a downgrade in attendance, as it is the only meeting not led by Hungary. There are discussions among EU diplomats about potentially relocating the informal meeting to Brussels to avoid sending ministers to Budapest. However, opinions suggest that it may be premature to implement such a significant change. Meanwhile, Hungary's European affairs minister, János Bóka, has asserted the country's commitment to cooperation with EU institutions and criticized the Commission for what he perceives as selective engagement based on political motives. Bóka's remarks highlight the ongoing tensions between Hungary and other EU member states, as the bloc grapples with how to respond to Budapest's controversial stance on various issues.