"It is very concerning" and "we expect explanations." That is all the European Commission has indicated after it became known that Hungary speaks with Russia "before and after" meetings of EU Foreign Ministers.
"The fact that the Hungarian Foreign Minister discloses internal matters to third parties is extremely concerning because the relationship of trust with our Member States and between institutions is fundamental for the European Union. We expect the Hungarian government to provide us with explanations," stated Vice President for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, this Wednesday in Brussels. And nothing more.
The response seems very lukewarm, to put it mildly, given the seriousness of the situation. Because it is not only that The Washington Post has published information that everyone in the EU capital believed and even reaffirmed what many in diplomatic circles thought. It is that the Foreign Minister himself, Péter Szijjártó, has openly admitted it.
"I coordinate before and after meetings of Foreign Ministers on decisions made or to be made with people who are important for Hungarian interests," Szijjártó pointed out yesterday at a rally.
When asked if one of the people he contacts is his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, he confirmed. "Russia is an important partner for Hungary, for example, for energy supply," continued the Foreign Affairs Minister of Viktor Orban's government in statements collected by EFE.
"I don't see anything strange about this. This is the essence of diplomacy," he emphasized. That is, besides acknowledging it, he tried to portray it as normal. To convey that it is the most normal thing in the world for a Foreign Minister to disclose what is discussed in secret EU meetings and to convey it to a country that not only invaded Ukraine but also threatens to attack a state within the EU.
But Brussels still does nothing. Neither the Commission nor the European Council. In the EU capital, they are crossing their fingers for Orban to lose the elections and for the arrival of the popular and, in principle, moderately Europeanist Péter Magyar to completely change the situation. In the issue of information leakage and also in the blockade of credit to Ukraine.
"No one will do anything until after the elections are held," diplomatic sources point out. The elections will take place on April 12, and indeed, the polls predict Magyar as the winner. But Orban and Russia will try everything to prevent the change. Even an assassination attempt, as proposed by Russian intelligence services.