Justice and Security Minister Van Wel will attend an informal meeting in Budapest on Monday. According to the Cabinet, there are important points on the agenda, which is why he does not want to miss this meeting.

This means that despite the European Commission’s declared boycott of Hungary and previous criticism from the new government coalition in The Hague, the Netherlands will still travel to Hungary.

Hungary currently holds the presidency of the European Union. regularly Rallies and meetings are held in the country. The European boycott concerns Hungarian Prime Minister Orban, who traveled alone to Moscow and Beijing.

The European Commission is so angry about this that its members will no longer go to Hungary for meetings for the rest of the year. Only civil servants will be present. They believe that the Hungarian prime minister has frustrated Brussels’ policy on Ukraine with his visits to Presidents Putin and Xi Jinping.

The VVD and the National Security Council have previously said the Netherlands should join the boycott, or at least send a stronger signal. But Prime Minister Schoff says Van Wiel, himself a VVD member, will simply go to a meeting of his European colleagues next Monday.

“There was no misunderstanding in the cabinet here,” Schoof told NOS in London after the European Political Group meeting. “The agenda is the leading one. We look at what topics are discussed at each meeting. If it is in the interest of the Netherlands, we will go there, unless the minister is on holiday. There was no discussion about that in the cabinet.”

Schoff does not see the fact that there is so much criticism within the coalition between the VVD and the National Security Council as an obstacle. “The individual parties in the coalition are allowed to do that. I have said on several occasions that the cabinet and parliament can choose a position. The government rules and parliament controls.”

According to Schoff, the new coalition’s position towards the Hungarian prime minister is no different from the previous government. “The Netherlands has taken a clear position against Orbán’s activities and the Hungarian EU presidency. Then we look at the informal councils to see whether Dutch interests prevail over other issues. The majority of European member states take the same view.”

Shortly after the interview with Schöff and after a meeting of the VVD leadership, the Ministry of Justice and Security confirmed that Van Wel would indeed go to Hungary. “During the first informal council, the first principles of the justice agenda for the coming years will be set,” the spokesperson explains the importance of the meeting.

At this meeting in Hungary, Van Wiel wants to ensure the rule of law and fundamental rights, according to the ministry. Topics on which Orbán always receives a lot of criticism.

Van Wel also wants to speak in Hungary with “Hungarian NGOs and scholars who are fighting for a strong rule of law in Hungary.” He would also like to talk with his colleagues about organized crime.