Emmanuel Macron received Viktor Orban in Paris on Monday evening to insist on "the unity of European countries" on the war in Ukraine in the face of the dissonant voice regularly heard by the Hungarian Prime Minister, as well as on "European values" and " Right wing state".
During a working dinner at the Elysée Palace, the French head of state and the controversial Hungarian leader prepared for the European Council on March 23 and 24 in Brussels. They discussed "issues of European industrial policy and competitiveness, as well as the subject of migration", declared the French presidency.
Viktor Orban has been sailing against the tide of his European partners on the Ukrainian file since the Russian invasion of Ukraine a year ago. He castigates the "indirect war" waged by Europe against Russia and again launched a new call at the end of February for a ceasefire.
Beyond that, the nationalist leader has repeatedly rubbed shoulders with the European Union over the fluctuating respect for the rule of law in Hungary, which Emmanuel Macron, much more Europhile, intended to raise again on Monday evening.
The Elysian dinner, more than a year after their last bilateral meeting in December 2021 in Budapest, "was an opportunity to reaffirm the need for the unity of European countries in their support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression , in particular through the strict application of sanctions against Russia," said the entourage of the French president.
It also "made it possible to address the question of the ratification of the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, as well as reforms of common interest, which should take place in the coming weeks in the Hungarian Parliament", according to the Elysée.
Of the 30 members of the Atlantic Alliance, only Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify these two new candidacies filed in the midst of the war in Ukraine. A French diplomatic source said on Monday that he was "fairly confident" about the parliamentary process initiated on the Hungarian side.
Since the start of the conflict in February 2022, Budapest, very dependent on Russian hydrocarbon imports, has maintained an ambiguous position, refraining from criticizing the Russian president.
Viktor Orban, who had close ties with Vladimir Putin before the war, refuses to send weapons to kyiv and castigates the European sanctions aimed at Moscow, even if he voted for them.
Since his return to power in 2010, the nationalist leader has gradually brought checks and balances to heel, whether in the media or the judiciary, regularly drawing criticism from the European Union.
The EU is also blocking some €12 billion in funds earmarked for Budapest pending anti-corruption reforms.
03/14/2023 04:09:08 - Paris (AFP) - © 2023 AFP
