Macron pushes for European unity during meeting with Hungary's Viktor Orban

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Paris on Monday evening to discuss a range of issues against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. Orban’s anti-EU statements have frequently lead to confrontations with Brussels.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. © Olivier Matthys / AP

During a working dinner at the Elysee, the French President and the controversial Hungarian leader began preparations for the European Council meeting on 23 and 24 March in Brussels.

Their agenda included "industrial policy, energy, and migration," the French presidency said.

Macron was keen to emphasize the "unity of European countries" with regards to the war in Ukraine,"European values" and the rule of law.

Unlike most European leaders Viktor Orban has been openly critical of the bloc's stance on the conflict, calling it an "indirect war" waged by Europe against Russia, while calling for a ceasefire.

Reçu par Emmanuel Macron ce lundi, que vient faire Viktor Orban à Paris ? https://t.co/BIa2iXrdZZ pic.twitter.com/aEz00cSjv7

— LCI (@LCI) March 13, 2023

Moreover, the nationalist leader has clashed several times with the European Union over the fluctuating respect for the rule of law in Hungary, which Macron, much more pro-European, raised again on Monday evening.

The Elysee dinner, more than a year after their last bilateral meeting in December 2021 in Budapest, "is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of European values and the unity of European countries in their support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, particularly through the application of sanctions against Russia,"  a spokesperson said before the meeting.

Macron was also expected to "reiterate the need for Hungary to ratify Finland and Sweden's accession to NATO."

Ambiguous position

Of the 30 members of the Atlantic Alliance, only Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify these two new candidacies.

A French diplomatic source said Monday that they were "fairly confident" about the parliamentary process initiated by the Hungarian side.

Since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Budapest, which is highly dependent on Russian hydrocarbon imports, has maintained an ambiguous position, refraining from criticizing the Russian president.

• European Parliament says Hungary is no longer a 'full democracy'

Orban, who had close ties with Vladimir Putin before the war, has refused to send weapons to Kyiv and denounces European sanctions against Moscow, even though he voted for them.

Since returning to power in 2010, the nationalist leader has gradually brought counter-powers to heel, whether in the media or the judiciary, regularly drawing criticism from Brussels.

The EU is also blocking some €12 billion in funds intended for Budapest, pending anticorruption reforms.

Also on the agenda at Monday's dinner were the issues of industrial competitiveness and migration, with Orban having come under fire in the past for his policies against non-European refugees.