The European Union has restricted Hungary’s access to confidential information, and the bloc’s leaders are discussing important issues in smaller meetings, writes Politico.
However, according to EU officials who told Politico about possible leaks, while waiting for the Hungarian parliamentary elections scheduled for the 12th of April, the bloc does not plan to press any formal charges.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who supports Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar, wrote on the X on the 22nd of March that Viktor Orbán’s people reporting to the Kremlin on issues discussed in the EU Council should not come as a surprise. Suspicions about this have been around for a long time, and that is why Tusk only speaks out when it is really necessary, and only says as much as is necessary.
The Washington Post reported on the 22nd of march that Orbán’s government has maintained close ties with the Kremlin despite Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó using breaks in meetings to brief Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on what was discussed. One EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said concerns about information falling into Moscow’s hands are the reason why the bloc’s leaders are increasingly gathering in smaller format instead of holding meetings with representatives of all 27 countries. He stressed that disloyal member states are the reason for resolving European diplomatic issues in smaller groups – the E3, E4, E7, E8, the Weimar group, the NB8, the JEF and others. The Weimar alliance is made up of France, Germany and Poland,
the NB8 is the Nordic and Baltic states, and the JEF unites 10 northern European countries.
Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told Politico that he had been warned as early as 2024 that the Hungarians were possibly passing information to the Kremlin, and that both he and his colleagues had limited the information discussed in Szijjártó’s presence. Landsbergis pointed out that even at the NATO summit in Vilnius in 2023, the Budapest delegation was excluded from discussing sensitive issues, and that broader meetings were held in general and official terms, only to discuss the summit’s goals in a narrower circle.
It has also been reported that the Bucharest Nine considered expelling Budapest from the group in 2024 after it was not possible to agree on support for Ukraine. The Bucharest Nine brings together nine countries on NATO’s eastern flank – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary.
Hungary’s European Affairs Minister János Bóka told Politico that the reports that surfaced over the weekend were fake news, a desperate reaction to Orbán’s party’s success in the election campaign, and that the Hungarian people could not be fooled.
Szijjártó also denied the Washington Post report, saying the media was pushing conspiracy theories
that were more absurd than ever.
One EU diplomat said that in light of the new allegations, more careful consideration should be given to what information is being discussed. The issue of declassifying EU documents and information is being discussed, and while it won’t solve all problems, such measures can serve to deter the transfer of sensitive information to third parties.
The diplomats who spoke to Politico said they were not surprised by the news, but any official response would depend on the outcome of the Hungarian election. Despite his party trailing Magyar’s in the polls, Orbán said on the 20th of March that he could definitely stay in office for another term.
A bloc diplomat said of the accusations against Hungary that the situation threatens mutual trust, cooperation and unity among EU countries, and that this is deplorable. If Orbán stays in office after the election, the EU will have to find other ways to deal with him. Another official pointed out that whatever the EU and its leaders do, Orbán will use it to his advantage in the pre-election campaign, and no one wants to take actions that add fuel to the fire.
Magyar said last week that
the fact that the Hungarian foreign minister has literally left the content of EU meetings to Lavrov, minute by minute, is a blatant betrayal.
Szijjártó has not only betrayed Hungary, but also the whole of Europe, Magyar stressed.
The accusations come as Orbán’s foreign allies plan to visit Hungary to support the current prime minister. Tusk’s political opponent, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, will visit Budapest on the 23rd of March, while US Vice President JD Vance will visit the Hungarian capital in April.
Orbán angered EU leaders in March by using his veto power to block a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine. An EU official said it would not be surprising if the leaks were true – Hungary is a long-time ally of the Russian dictator and continues to threaten security in Europe.
Read also: European leaders accuse Orbán of blackmail and disloyalty
Read also: Hungarian opposition: Country at crossroads between Europe and dictatorship