Overview
- The European Commission said it is awaiting clarifications from Budapest after reports that Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó relayed details from closed EU talks to Russia.
- Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper called the claims greatly concerning and stressed that trust among EU members underpins the bloc’s work.
- The Washington Post reported that Szijjártó used breaks in EU meetings to update Sergey Lavrov, a claim Hungary denies, with Europe Minister János Bóka labeling the coverage fake news.
- EU diplomats say access for Hungary to confidential material has been curtailed and smaller formats that exclude Budapest have become more common over leak concerns.
- Officials indicate the bloc is avoiding a formal collective response for now due to the potential impact on Hungary’s April 12 election, even as figures like Poland’s Donald Tusk say suspicions are longstanding.