From: euronews November 22, 2024 Brussels warns Orbán over Netanyahu visit: it's your duty to comply with ICC warrants
Hungary Ignoring an arrest warrant by the ICC would breach international obligations and damage Hungary's reputation, Vera Jourová told Euronews.
The European Commission has issued a pointed warning to Viktor Orbán after the Hungarian Prime Minister announced he would invite his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, and ignore the arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Brushing off the order would breach international obligations and entail reputational damage, said Vera Jourová, one of the Commission's vice presidents.
Hungary, like all EU member states, is a party to the Rome Statue, the 1998 treaty that established the tasks and jurisdiction of the ICC. As of today, 125 states are party to the treaty. Some notable absences include Israel, the US, Russia, China and India.
Hungary, however, is not the only EU country that has cast doubt over the arrest warrant placed on Netayanhu.
Austria and the Czech Republic Austria and the Czech Republic, two of Israel's staunchest supporters in the bloc, have also offered critical, albeit less defiant, reactions.
Germany Germany, meanwhile, has sent mixed signals.
Annalena Baerbock, the foreign affairs minister, said the country would abide by the law "at the European level and internationally" but avoided going into "theoretical" scenarios.
Steffen Hebestreit, the chief spokesperson of the federal government, was more non-committal and told reporters: "I find it hard to imagine that we would make arrests on this basis."
