The European Commissioners will not to travel in July to Budapest for the start of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which began on July 1, a European Commission spokesman confirmed at a press conference in response to questions. He specified that the trip is expected to take place in September.
When asked why the long-standing tradition of EU commissioners visiting the capital of the country taking over the presidency in the first week was being broken, the spokesman said he could not confirm whether there had been another such case. We have never announced a date for this trip, he added.
These days there are important meetings, important events to follow, there is no rule when to take this trip, explained the spokesperson. Asked whether EU commissioners need to receive an invitation from Budapest to travel, he said he would have to check.
Tradition envisages the EU commissioners visiting the capital of the country that has taken over the presidency, for talks with the local authorities on the political priorities of the EU for the next six months. Until the first session of the European Parliament after the early June elections, convened for July 16 in Strasbourg, negotiations are underway in Brussels to secure the necessary majority that would support Ursula von der Leyen for a second term. The European Council supported Von der Leyen at its meeting last week.