Germany May Join Boycott of Hungary's EU Meeting

Several European Union countries have announced a boycott of the upcoming informal council meeting in Hungary, with Germany indicating it will not send any ministers to Budapest. This decision follows weeks of criticism directed at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, particularly after his controversial visits to Moscow, Beijing, and former President Trump’s estate shortly after Hungary assumed the EU's rotating presidency. Reports indicate that multiple Northern and Eastern European nations will only dispatch officials to the meetings throughout July, with Germany confirming that no federal ministers will attend. Instead, lower-ranking state secretaries are expected to represent various ministries, including Justice and Interior. German Finance Minister Christian Lindner and Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir have expressed hesitance about their planned visits, with Özdemir stating he is "looking very carefully" at the situation. The German Foreign Ministry has echoed these sentiments, highlighting the skepticism and irritation caused by Orbán's unconsented trips. German diplomats are coordinating with EU partners to discuss potential responses, including attendance at the informal council meetings. Other ministries have either not finalized their attendance or plan to send substitutes due to the informal nature of the meetings. In a further development, the European Commission announced that no commissioners will attend the informal meetings during Hungary's presidency, opting for representation at the senior civil servant level only. This decision underscores the growing discontent among EU member states regarding Hungary's leadership and diplomatic actions.