Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg Opposes Boycott of Hungary's EU Presidency

PeopleDiplomats ♦ Published: July 10, 2024; 12:23 ♦ (Vindobona)

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has firmly opposed a boycott of Hungary's EU Presidency, despite the controversial solo actions of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who recently traveled to Moscow without an EU mandate. Schallenberg emphasized the importance of maintaining a professional working relationship within the EU.

Austrian FM Alexander Schallenberg wants Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to explain himself after his solo trip to Moscow. / Picture: © BMEIA Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres / Gruber / Flickr Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

In an interview on the Ö1 morning journal, as reported by ORF, Schallenberg stated that Orbán must explain his unauthorized trip to Moscow. "He did not speak on behalf of the European Union. He has no mandate, no authority," the Foreign Minister stressed. These trips, including the meeting with the sanctioned Kremlin leader…