Politico: Hungary’s Orbán to miss EU Council meeting after election defeat

Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will not attend next week’s informal meeting of the European Council in Cyprus, according to an EU official cited by Politico.

Orbán’s absence follows a decisive defeat in Hungary’s recent general election, ending his 16-year tenure in power. He is expected to remain in office in a caretaker capacity until his political rival, Péter Magyar, formally assumes leadership in May.

The European Council meeting, scheduled for April 23–24, will bring together EU leaders to discuss key issues including the crisis in the Middle East and the bloc’s next seven-year budget.

Under Council rules, Orbán will be represented by another national leader. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, a political ally, is expected to attend on Hungary’s behalf.

Orbán has been a controversial figure within the European Union, frequently using Hungary’s veto power to block measures such as sanctions on Russia and financial assistance to Ukraine. At the most recent EU summit, European Council President António Costa criticised his actions as “blackmail” and “completely unacceptable.”

The Hungarian government has not yet responded to requests for comment.

By Sabina Mammadli