The European Union is far from an actual union. Those at the top in Brussels make the decisions, and everyone is expected to adhere blindly. Viktor Orbán of Hungary has long fallen out of favor with the European Union for opposing the war in Ukraine. August is Hungary’s round to host the next EU summit, but foreign affairs ministers are refusing to attend.
Now, each member state has a chance to hold the presidency of the Council of the EU. August 28-29 was slated to be Hungary’s opportunity to share its ideas for matters like foreign policy with the rest of the bloc. EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell planned a “formal” council meeting on the exact dates of Hungary’s summit to undermine the country’s voice in the bloc.
Two-thirds of foreign ministers chose not to attend the last EU summit hosted by Hungary. Orban had hoped to use that meeting to discuss competing with China to corner the EV market. Hungary’s National Economy Minister Márton Nagy had agreed to adhere to the phase-out of fossil fuel engines by 2035 but opposed putting tariffs on EVs from China. “We don’t believe in [the tariffs]. Protectionism is not a solution. We need more competition,” Nagy said. This event should have been an opportunity for EU ministers to collaborate their ideas for this multi-trillion dollar change that is coming in the near future, but Hungary has been ostracized. No one is actually voting or bringing new ideas to the table.
Uncoincidentally, Orban had met with both Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin ahead of the last summit while he was acting as the rotating president of the European Union. One diplomat said that Orban’s claims that he wanted to discuss peace were a rouse. They play into the hands of Putin and his war project. The Hungarian slogan to ‘make Europe great again’ is more about making Russia great again at this stage,” the diplomat told POLITICO.
The people are unable to decide the fate of Europe as it has fallen into the hands of the unelected elite in Brussels. Hungary has been ostracized by the European Union who does not even respect the nation enough to hear their viewpoints. Europe is under the rule of a collective dictatorship that will prove increasingly tyrannical as the economy turns down.
