Trump introduces shockingly high tariffs on Hungarian products from 1 June!

The United States government’s latest announcement flagging a tariff hike on European Union products is “further proof of Brussels’ incompetence”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Friday.

“Brussels was incapable of reaching an agreement with President Donald Trump and the new American administration on tariffs,” Szijjártó said in a statement issued by his ministry.

Earlier Friday, President Trump said he was recommending a straight 50pc tariff on the EU from June 1, 2025. Szijjártó said the situation that had developed was “clearly harmful and risky” for the European economy and called out the European Commission for failing to act in time.

• Trump’s proposed film tariffs could deal a blow to Hungary’s booming movie industry

EU must make room for US’ peace talks

Hungary believes it is essential to leave room for the peace negotiations initiated by the United States, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in Brussels on Tuesday, adding that the most important aims were to ensure the continuity of the peace talks and to bring an end to the war in Ukraine as soon as possible.

Hungary does not believe that EU member states have a reason to continue supporting the “escalation” of the war by taking steps that aim to achieve a military victory for Ukraine, Szalay-Bobrovniczky told a press conference after a meeting with his EU counterparts.

• Trump Jr in Budapest: Hungary is like heaven

He noted that Hungary had been calling for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks from the start, arguing that the war could only be resolved through diplomacy.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky said the ministers had discussed the EU’s mandate for training missions. He said a new proposal would expand the mandate by conducting the missions on Ukraine’s territory, noting that this went against Hungary’s position.

He said there was “no sense” in a further escalation of the conflict. The most important goal, he added, was achieving a ceasefire, after which the EU could make responsible decisions as to how it could support the peace process.

5% on defence

Bolstering the EU’s defences was also high on Tuesday’s agenda, the minister said. He said Hungary was one of the few countries that have met their obligation to have their defence spending reach 2 percent of GDP years ago. However, he noted, several member states and NATO’s secretary general have called for discussing raising defence spending to 5 percent of GDP.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky said Hungary was committed to strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities and defence industry, adding that such a direction had first been proposed by the Hungarian prime minister years ago.

“Hungary supports every step aimed at bolstering Europe’s defence industry that applies directly do EU member states instead of through supporting Ukraine,” the minister said.

Concerning a new series of proposals aimed at developing the bloc’s defence capabilities, Szalay-Bobrovniczky said Hungary supported the scheme, as it would expand the funds available to member states and opens the door to involving the European Investment Bank and private equity in the financing of defence upgrades.

Meanwhile, he said the issue of providing European security guarantees to Ukraine was still on the EU’s agenda, adding that many member states were hoping to achieve this by admitting Ukraine to the bloc. Hungary, however, does not support such a step, he said, arguing that Ukraine is still at war.

European institutions ‘overpowering, in mistaken role’

Europe’s institutions are now “overpowering and are in mistaken roles… they have become an ignoble stage for bureaucratic interests, ignoring the interests of nation states,” György Hölvényi, MEP of the co-ruling Christian Democrats, told a conference on European Christian democracy in Budapest on Friday.

Hölvényi said the cooperation and integration called for in post-WWII times were still needed, adding that European institutions were instrumental in their implementation.

Despite all its dichotomies “Europe is still the best place in the world and it will be up to the next generation to ensure that it stays so,” Hölvényi said. To make progress, however, he said “we need to turn back … to Robert Schuman’s ideals of Europe”. Schuman, in his time, called for competition, Holvenyi said, but asked if the European Union nowadays offered equal opportunities for competition. Europe’s international reputation has weakened, while various interest groups are fighting each other, he said.

“Finance rules over politics and Europe is often governed by arbitrary rule and discrimination rather than justice,” Hölvényi said. He called for renewal with Christian teachings and religion-based politics in the focus. Meanwhile, he said, man should be in the centre of a continually renewing Christian Democracy.