The leaders also discussed the acceptance of Finland and Sweden as NATO members. Hungary has not yet ratified membership.
President of France Emmanuel Macron met the far-right prime minister of Hungary on Monday Viktor Orbán at a working dinner at the Élysée Palace. According to the president’s office, Macron emphasized the need for European unity in the Ukrainian war.
Unlike most European leaders, Orbán has openly criticized the EU’s position on the conflict and its attitude towards Russia. According to Macron, European countries must support Ukraine unitedly in the face of Russian aggression, especially with strict sanctions.
Macron and Orbán also discussed Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership, reports the news agency AFP. Hungary and Turkey are the only members of the military alliance that have not yet ratified the membership of Finland and Sweden.
Budapest is highly dependent on Russian energy imports. Orbán has vowed to maintain relations with the Kremlin and has refused to send weapons to Kiev. He has also criticized the sanctions against Moscow, although Hungary eventually sided with its EU partners in the sanctions issue.
The EU is concerned about corruption in Hungary
Hungary has also had a long-standing dispute with the European Union due to concerns caused by the country’s corruption. In December, Brussels froze funds worth billions of euros until Hungary implements anti-corruption reforms.
At Monday’s meeting, industrial competitiveness and immigration were also on the list. Orbán has been strongly criticized for his harsh attitude towards refugees from outside Europe.
The meeting between Macron and Orbán took place ahead of the European Council meeting later this month.
AFP