Senior government officials from Ireland, Luxembourg, and Belgium publicly criticized Hungary, questioning whether Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government upholds European Union values. Orbán’s administration raised concerns by establishing close ties with Russia and promoting anti-migrant and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, as well as exerting control over public media. This has led to the freezing of millions of euros in EU funds due to worries about democratic decline in Hungary.
The officials, including Luxembourg’s Xavier Bettel, Belgium’s Hadja Lahbib, and Ireland’s Jennifer Carroll McNeill, participated in meetings with Hungarian media, civil society, and LGBTQ+ representatives prior to a meeting in Budapest. They emphasized the importance of human rights, freedom, and the rule of law, expressing concerns about the future of Europe.
During the meeting, the ministers directly addressed a Hungarian television camera, highlighting the uncommon public criticism from EU member states towards each other. Lahbib urged Hungary to lift its veto on EU funds aiding in supplying weapons to Ukraine and stressed the need for the Hungarian presidency to foster unity among EU member states.
In response to Hungary’s behavior, several EU countries have been sending lower-level officials to meetings hosted by Budapest in protest. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell even relocated a gathering of the bloc’s foreign ministers from Budapest to Brussels. Despite the tensions, Hungary’s tenure holding the EU presidency will conclude on December 31.
