Hungary Accuses Brussels of Failing Treaty Obligations Toward Member States
Hungary has publicly stated that the European Union treaties obligate Brussels to defend its Member States, arguing that EU institutions are legally and politically bound to prioritise the interests of Member States.
According to the Hungarian position, the European Commission and other EU bodies are failing in that obligation by aligning themselves politically with Ukraine, a non-member state, rather than fully supporting Hungary in ongoing disputes.
At the centre of the Hungarian claim lies the legal framework of the European Union, particularly the Treaty on European Union (TEU). Article 4(3) establishes the principle of sincere cooperation, which obliges the Union and its Member States to assist one another in carrying out tasks flowing from the treaties. Additionally, Article 42(7) contains a mutual defence clause requiring Member States to aid a fellow Member State in the event of armed aggression.
What follows is a video from X showing Hungry’s reaction to the EU’s position on this issue, in which Viktor Orbán argues that the EU is primarily a union of sovereign states whose institutions need to support the member states against aggression from non-member states.
What is clear, however, is that tensions between Budapest and Brussels are unlikely to subside in the near term, particularly as the war in Ukraine continues to shape European politics.
This is followed by another video taken from X, giving a legal and political interpretation of the bizarre EU policies that are supporting Ukraine and Russia at the same time.