EU Commission Limits Participation in Hungarian EU Presidency Meetings

The EU Commission will not send specialist commissioners to informal meetings organised by the Hungarian EU presidency. This decision follows Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's controversial meetings with world leaders. The decision, announced by European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer, downgrades the EU Commission's participation in these meetings indefinitely.

The EU Commission will refrain from sending specialist commissioners to informal meetings organized by the Hungarian EU presidency, as stated by a spokesperson on Monday via social media platform X. This follows Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's recent meetings with U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump and surprise trips to Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing, which have sparked criticism among EU member states.

"In light of recent developments marking the start of the Hungarian Presidency, the President has decided that (the EU Commission) will be represented at senior civil servant level only during informal meetings of the Council," said Eric Mamer, spokesman for the European Commission president, on X. "The College visit to the Presidency will not take place," he added.

This indefinite decision, as Mamer explained in a separate message to journalists, effectively downgrades the EU Commission's participation, as specialist commissioners for the policy area under discussion usually attend EU ministerial meetings.

(With inputs from agencies.)