The European Commission has issued a stern warning to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after he announced plans to invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Hungary, despite an arrest warrant issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Věra Jourová, the European Commission’s Vice-President for Values and Transparency, emphasized that defying the ICC’s order would violate international obligations and damage Hungary’s reputation.
The ICC has stated there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Netanyahu, along with his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The court also issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, the Hamas military leader. Despite this, Orbán, a strong ally of Netanyahu, dismissed the warrant as politically motivated and vowed that it would not affect Netanyahu’s visit to Hungary.
Compliance with ICC
Hungary’s defiance has drawn criticism from Jourová, who reminded the Hungarian government that as a signatory to the Rome Statute, Hungary is obligated to comply with ICC rulings. The Rome Statute, which governs the ICC, requires its 125 signatories to implement arrest warrants issued by the court, as the ICC lacks enforcement power. Jourová stressed that ignoring the arrest warrant would be a clear breach of international law and harm Hungary’s global standing.
In a statement, the European Commission reaffirmed its commitment to the ICC’s independence, stressing that EU member states, including Hungary, are bound by the Rome Statute to execute arrest warrants issued by the court. While Hungary’s stance has caused a stir, other EU nations like Austria and the Czech Republic have also expressed concerns, though with less defiance. Germany, on the other hand, has made ambiguous comments, indicating a reluctance to carry out arrests under the ICC warrant.
This marks another instance of Orbán’s controversial foreign policy, as he previously faced backlash for meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is also wanted by the ICC for war crimes related to the conflict in Ukraine.