| Blame and reprimands followed Viktor Orbán’s “Ukraine peace tour” to Moscow and Beijing, which he started as soon as Hungary took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 July. Orbán is misleading many by suggesting that he represents the entire EU in this initiative. Of course, Orbán doesn’t represent the EU. The role of the Council presidency is of a much more technical nature. For example, the country assuming the presidency chairs meetings of the different Council configurations, with the important exception of the Foreign Affairs Council. For the same precaution, the so-called “trio of presidencies” was institutionalised – to shoulder a weaker, inexperienced or problematic member state into fulfilling its duties without rocking the boat. This was one of the safeguards after the big bang enlargement of 2004-2007. Those who decided on the rules of the Lisbon Treaty wanted to limit the powers of individual countries assuming the presidency role. Their fear was precisely the hypothesis that regimes like Orbán’s could one day be tasked with the EU presidency. They were right. The Lisbon treaty entered into force in December 2009. Orbán took power in May 2010 and ever since, he has taken measures to secure his power forever. Who knows what the future holds for him and the EU. As regards his “peace tour”, we believe Orbán is misleading the public opinion, in Hungary and abroad. The general public doesn’t read the Maastricht and the Lisbon treaties. But we don’t think he can mislead his foreign counterparts. Any regime, be it in Russia or Beijing, has professional advisers who know the EU inside out. One of their jobs is precisely to identify its weaknesses and make use of them. | 