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Germany's ambassador summoned by Hungarian foreign ministry over German Day of Unity speech
Hungary's Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó summoned the German ambassador, Julia Gross, over comments he called "unacceptable," claiming they violated Hungary's sovereignty.
Szijjártó, who announced the decision via social media, said the ambassador had "seriously interfered" in the country’s domestic affairs during a speech delivered at a Wednesday evening event in Budapest. At a reception to celebrate the Day of German Unity, Gross criticized the Hungarian government for shifting away from the path of friendly relations between the two countries and described the delay in approving Sweden's NATO membership as “nothing more than a farce.” During her remarks, Gross urged Hungarian public figures to speak out against actions that are eroding the trust of Hungary's EU and NATO allies.
The speech, attended by several diplomats, was snubbed by members of the Hungarian government.
Szijjarto defends ties with Russia during meeting with Lavrov
Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has expressed commitment to maintaining relations with Moscow, following a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. In a Facebook post, Szijjártó stressed that “Russia will always be part of the Central European reality, therefore Hungary cannot afford to give up its relations.”
The minister argued that it is in Hungary’s interest to preserve ties “based on fairness and mutual respect,” and suggested expanding cooperation in sectors untouched by sanctions. He also expressed openness to improving economic ties with Moscow.
“While we are bound by European rules, which means adhering to the sanctions regime, we have been clear about our intention to enhance economic relations with Russia in non-sanctioned areas,” Szijjártó said. He also called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to facilitate dialogue between Russia and the United States.
German and French ambassadors issue démarche over Balazs Orban's controversial remarks
The German and French ambassadors in Budapest have issued a démarche (formal diplomatic protest) in response to Balázs Orbán, Hungary’s Prime Minister's political director's comments, RFE/RL reports.
The démarche states that if Hungary, as a NATO member, truly endorses these views on collective defense, it would undermine the alliance’s principles and show disrespect to its partners. This is seen as an unusual move between allies, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
Orbán (no relations to the PM) caused a stir in a recent interview with pro-government Mandiner, where he suggested that Hungary would have acted differently from Ukraine, referring to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to defend his country against Moscow's full-scale invasion as “irresponsible,” and implying that Hungary’s 1956 revolution would not serve as a precedent.
Orban congratulates far-right FPÖ on election victory
Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) on its results in the country’s parliamentary elections, calling it a “historic victory.” In a post on social media, Orbán wrote: “Another win for the Patriots: a historic victory for FPÖ in Austria! Congratulations to Herbert Kickl!”
FPÖ secured 28.9% of the votes, winning 56 seats in the parliament. Herbert Kickl, the party's leader, has previously joined forces with Orbán and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to establish the “Patriots for Europe” group in the European Parliament.