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EU Pro-War Foreign Ministers Take Aim at Hungary in Tense Foreign Council Meeting

The informal meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council took place amid heightened tensions in Brussels on 29 August. The mood was set by Josep Borrell’s decision to relocate the meeting from Budapest to the Belgian capital as a signal of disapproval of Viktor Orbán’s peace mission. Ahead of the meeting, pro-war ministers issued statements criticizing the Hungarian government, and the tense atmosphere carried over into the discussions in the meeting room.

Council of Europe Election Week Kicks off — The Risk of Leftist Takeover Is High

Two elections this week at the Council of Europe will determine the institution’s future orientation. On Tuesday, 25 June the new Secretary General of the Council of Europe will be elected for a five-year term. On Wednesday, 26 June three new judges for the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will be elected for a nine-year term. Senior Research Fellow at the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) Nicolas Bauer points out the risk of a leftist takeover.

Aerial view of Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, in 2021 (Wikimedia Commons)

Lithuania Takes the Helm — New Presidency Period in the Council of Europe

The Lithuanian presidency began with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė outlining the goals of the upcoming term. Firstly, she mentioned the importance of supporting Ukraine in defending itself against Russian aggression, which should be achieved by strengthening democratic institutions in Ukraine and providing further significant support for reconstruction. Secondly, she stressed that a higher level of accountability would be required in connection with international crimes. In this process, the CoE’s expertise should be utilized, for example, to establish a Special International Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

Péter Szijjártó speaking in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 19 June 2023.

Péter Szijjártó Responds to Provocative Questions from Ukrainian Member of Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly

Ukrainian representative Yuriy Kamelchuk demanded an explanation as to why Hungary had blocked the payment of the next instalment of military aid from the European Peace Facility (EPF) to Ukraine. In his reply, the Hungarian minister reminded that Ukraine has put the biggest Hungarian bank on their list of international sponsors of terrorism, suggesting that the Hungarian bank enables the Russian war machine. As soon as OTP is removed from that list, the minister declared, Hungary will reconsider its veto.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission

The Great European Delusion and the Dawn of Realist Foreign Policy

‘Our world has changed, the international order has transformed, and every actor is trying to adapt. With the end of unipolarity, the hegemony of liberal foreign policy also ended…Free trade has given way to protectionism; moralizing, value-centric diplomacy has given way to transactional realism. However, this recognition apparently eludes the European Union.’

No Agreement on Reparations Loan for Ukraine at EUCO Summit

‘Belgium, where most of these Russian assets are held (by the Belgian financial institution, Euroclear), is strongly resisting the European Commission’s push to use them. It fears not only repercussions from Russia, but also the capital markets losing trust, which could have long-term consequences on third countries’ willingness to invest and keep their assets in Belgium, or in Europe, indeed.’

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