Josep Borrell's symbolic punishment was reversed, the majority of member states can boycott the summit in Brussels instead of Budapest.
EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Josep Borrell's boycott proposal backfired, the majority of the member states do not support the fact that the next summit meeting of foreign and defense ministers will be held in Brussels instead of Budapest, which hosts the consecutive presidency, at the end of August, reports Die Welt.
Borrell argued that, with the exception of Slovakia's foreign minister, the heads of ministries of 25 countries condemned Viktor Orbán's peace mission, and he intends the move to be a symbolic consequence.
However, the member states reacted differently:
Luxembourg's foreign minister called the idea of a boycott nonsense, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Spain openly opposed Borrell's initiative, and others criticized the choice of venue.
According to press reports, the majority of the member states are now planning to skip the Brussels summit in protest, reports Mandiner in its press review.
Cover photo: Josep Borrell, the European Union's chief representative for foreign and security policy, speaks at the press conference following the Luxembourg meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union member states on April 22, 2024.
MTI/EPA/Olivier Hoslet
