Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called in the German ambassador on Thursday to express his discontent regarding her recent remarks, in which she encouraged Hungarian public figures to denounce actions she claimed were undermining the trust of Hungary’s NATO and EU partners.

In her speech, delivered to diplomats, NGOs, and Hungarian officials to commemorate German Unity Day on Wednesday, Ambassador Julia Gross stated, “Hungary is on a path that is leading it away from its friends.”

Szijjarto deemed these remarks “unacceptable,” asserting that the ambassador’s comments represented a serious intrusion into Hungary’s internal affairs and violated the country’s sovereignty. He shared his views on Facebook, emphasizing the inappropriateness of the intervention. Notably, senior government officials were absent from the event, which Szijjarto attended last year. The government has yet to provide a response regarding their absence.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s nationalist administration has consistently clashed with Hungary’s Western partners on various matters, particularly regarding its human rights and media freedom record, as well as its relatively strong economic relations with Russia.

Ambassador Gross pointed out that several actions have eroded Hungary’s credibility, including Orban’s initiative to promote peace in Ukraine, which involved discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July without the support of other EU member nations.

Additionally, she expressed disapproval of the government’s behavior concerning the NATO membership of Finland and Sweden. After a prolonged postponement, Budapest ultimately approved Sweden’s NATO accession in February.

PRINCIPLE OF SOLIDARITY

Gross also referenced “comments made by individual politicians in the past week.”
While she did not provide further details, she previously noted on X that Germany and France had expressed concerns to Hungary regarding “recent unexpected remarks that undermine the principle of solidarity among allies.” This seemed to allude to statements from a senior aide to Orban, who suggested that Ukraine should not have resisted Russia’s invasion.

“I see many individuals here tonight who have consistently acted as bridge-builders,” Gross remarked. “Together, we must insist that what you have established should not be dismantled.”
Germany stands as Hungary’s largest trading partner and has been instrumental in its economy since the mid-1990s, with automotive manufacturers such as Audi, Daimler, Opel, and BMW investing billions of euros in the Central European nation.
According to data from the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Germany represented 26.3% of all Hungarian exports and 22.6% of all Hungarian imports in 2023.