© Arnaud Serexhe
As Hungary becomes increasingly isolated on the world stage, Luxembourgish Prime Minister Luc Frieden made an unexpected trip to see Viktor Orban.
Hungary is currently the enfant terrible of the European Union, primarily due to its Prime Minister. Orban, who is prone to blocking important decisions in the European Parliament, also caused controversy back in July by visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin with informing other member states, as his country took over the EU presidency.
Luxembourg's PM undertook a visit to Orban on Thursday. The meeting took place behind closed doors and was followed by a joint press conference, during which journalists were barred from asking questions.
The Hungarian PM highlighted 100 years of diplomatic relations between Hungary and the Grand Duchy, and said there had never been a dispute between the two countries.
Hungary agrees with Luxembourg's stance that the EU must become more competitive, particularly in the face of competition from China and the US. Furthermore, Orban stated the EU should provide more development aid to African nations, and he once again advocated for expansion including the western Balkan states.
Frieden used kind words to greet his counterpart and stressed the importance of dialogue in spite of opposing opinions.
