The European Union has taken an unprecedented step by effectively barring Hungary from confidential diplomatic processes. According to Politico, Brussels is restricting Budapest’s access to classified information due to serious concerns that Viktor Orbán’s government is leaking data to Moscow.
Key details of the diplomatic isolation:
- Shift to Small Formats: A significant portion of European diplomacy is now conducted bypassing the general meetings of the 27 EU member states. Talks have moved to the E3 (France, Germany, UK), E4 (+ Italy), the Weimar Triangle (Germany, Poland, France), and the NB8 (Nordic and Baltic countries).
- “Direct Line” to Moscow: According to WaPo sources, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó repeatedly called Sergey Lavrov during breaks at EU meetings.
- Donald Tusk’s Statement: The Polish Prime Minister directly accused Orbán’s representatives of providing detailed briefings to the Kremlin about EU Council sessions, adding that he is now forced to minimize his remarks during general meetings for security reasons.
Analytical summary: The effective exclusion of Hungary from the EU’s information flow marks the deepest institutional crisis in the union’s history. Budapest has officially transitioned from the status of a “difficult partner” to an “internal threat.” The creation of parallel decision-making structures (E3, E4, NB8) means that the principle of consensus in the EU no longer functions in security matters. For Russia, this is simultaneously a victory (sowing discord within the EU) and a loss (the channel for receiving operational information from Brussels is being cut off). For Orbán himself, such isolation within Europe makes him even more dependent on the Kremlin, confirming the fears raised in recent Western intelligence reports.