EU Commissioners Boycott Meeting in Hungary over Orbán's Controversial Trips

The European Commission has taken the decision to boycott informal ministerial meetings organized by Hungary during its presidency of the EU Council. This comes as a response to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's controversial trips to Moscow, China, and the United States, where he met with Donald Trump.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that only officials, and not Commissioners, will participate in these meetings. Several EU member states, including Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Poland, are also considering similar reactions.

The decision has been criticized by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, while Commissioner Jutta Roswall called Orbán's approach harmful. This boycott comes at a critical time, as von der Leyen is facing an election in the European Parliament and is dependent on the votes of Social Democrats, Greens, and Liberals.

It remains to be seen how this boycott will impact Hungary's presidency and its relationship with the EU.