ROME, July 11. /TASS/. Brussels will seek to minimize Hungary’s initiatives during its presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of the year, Italy’s La Repubblica writes.
According to the newspaper, moving to end the presidency would involve a long and complicated process and would create a dangerous precedent.
La Repubblica notes that after EU ambassadors expressed formal dissatisfaction with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s visits to Russia and China, Brussels will now try to reduce the role of Budapest’s initiatives, up to boycotting them.
The Euractiv news website reported earlier that pro-EU factions in the European Parliament were seeking to prevent right-wing members of the Patriots for Europe faction created at Orban’s initiative from taking managing positions.
Notably, Orban’s isolation within the EU is creating certain problems for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who is seen as his ally on a number of issues, including migration, traditional values and the green agenda.
Orban visited Moscow on July 5 to discuss ways to resolve the conflict in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier, on July 2, the Hungarian premier made a trip to Kiev where he held a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. On July 8, Orban met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing to exchange views on the prospects for resolving the Ukraine crisis.