Eurotopics.net

Hungarian Prime Minister and current EU Council President Viktor Orbán visited Ukraine for the first time in more than a decade this week. In a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky he proposed a quick ceasefire as a basis for peace negotiations, urging the Ukrainian leader to rethink his demand that Russian troops withdraw before talks can begin. Commentators see this as a calculated move.

After the electoral victory of the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) in the first round of the parliamentary election in France, European commentators look at the potential consequences outside France. Are fundamental EU values and strategies under threat? Are the common economic policy, Western orientation and support for Ukraine at stake?

In the first round of the parliamentary elections in France the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) and its allies emerged as the strongest force with 33 percent of the votes. Ahead of the second round of voting on Sunday, the leftist alliance Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), which came second, and the Macron camp in third place have already withdrawn 150 candidates in order to boost each other's chances against the RN.

Hungary took over the rotating EU Council presidency on 1 July. The Hungarian government's much-criticised stance vis-à-vis EU decision-making, particularly with regard to the war in Ukraine, has been raising doubts about the country's suitability for this role. The discussion continues in Europe's press. All commentaries were published before it emerged on Tuesday morning that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had travelled to Kyiv for a surprise visit.