Trust in Orban has fallen to zero, but Hungary cannot be deprived of EU Council Presidency, - European Commission Vice-President Jourova

Legally, Hungary cannot be deprived of the EU Council presidency. However, the European Union intends to boycott the policies of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

This was stated by Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, in an interview with Suspilne TV, Censor.NET reports.

‘I am a lawyer, so I will give a dry answer as a lawyer: we cannot deprive Hungary of the presidency. There is no way to do it. But we can boycott and openly show that we do not agree with Mr Orban's policy,’ she said.

According to her, the European Union's trust in Orban has dropped to zero.

Jórova also said that despite his actions, Orban will not be able to cause damage within the EU.

‘The Hungarian presidency comes at a time when the Council will not be making any key decisions, as we are at the beginning of the legislative period, changing mandates in institutions,’ the Vice President of the European Commission said.

She added that the EU is gradually preparing for the Polish presidency, which will begin after the New Year.

Read more: Zelenskyy on Orban’s visit to Russia: I do not support it, but it is his decision

Hungary's Presidency of the EU Council and Orban's ‘peaceful voyages’

The Hungarian presidency of the EU Council began on 1 July. It will last until the end of 2024.

Since the start of Budapest's presidency of the EU Council, Viktor Orban has paid visits to Moscow and Beijing as part of his ‘peacekeeping mission’.

A number of European leaders reacted rather sharply to the Hungarian prime minister's visit to Moscow. In particular, they stressed that Orban did not represent the EU in Russia during his meeting with Putin.

By the way, on Monday, 15 July, the European Commission took some measures against Hungary due to the recent events that took place in the EU during Budapest's presidency.