The EU plans to raise the issue of Orbán's ties to Moscow at the summit
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán lost the election, but European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to raise the issue of his possible ties to Moscow with European Union leaders.
This was reported by the Hungarian publication Telex.
European Council President António Costa has sent out invitations to an informal meeting of European Union heads of state and government, which will take place in Cyprus on April 23–24.
The agenda includes three key topics:
- the global geopolitical situation;
- the conflict in the Middle East;
- the EU’s seven-year budget.
On the evening of April 23, leaders will hear from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding the Russian invasion. The invitation does not specify the format of participation—in-person or via video link.
In addition to the official topics, the summit may address the scandal surrounding negotiations between the Hungarian and Russian sides.
The European Commission stated that the published materials regarding these contacts “highlight the alarming possibility that the government of a member state” acted in collusion with Russia.
Brussels also noted that such actions could have been directed “against the interests and security of the EU and all its citizens.”
European Commission representatives confirmed that Ursula von der Leyen will raise this issue with EU leaders and continue to press for explanations.
“The government of the Member State in question must provide an explanation urgently,” said a European Commission spokesperson.
The next official EU summit is scheduled for June 18, which is after the political changes in Hungary.
That is why the meeting in Cyprus may be the last opportunity to discuss the situation with Viktor Orbán among European Union leaders.
Earlier reports indicated that audio recordings of conversations between Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had surfaced online.
In them, they discussed the possible lifting of EU sanctions against certain Russian individuals, particularly those linked to big business.
As a reminder, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán acknowledged the defeat of his Fidesz party in his first public address following the parliamentary elections.
International observers noted high voter turnout in Hungary’s parliamentary elections but stated that candidates did not have equal opportunities due to systemic advantages enjoyed by the ruling party. However, this did not help the party.
Recall that, according to the results of 98.93% of the votes counted, the “Tisa” party received 69.35% of the vote. This gives the opposition 138 seats in parliament, allowing it to form a constitutional majority on its own.
