How does that even matter? If (and that’s a huge fucking if) Russia uses nukes it doesn’t matter if they’re launching from Belarus or Hungary. But with the current status quo Putin has an ally in our midst that is paralyzing our alliance.
I’d rather they join Russia, it would relieve a huge burden on the EU and we would lose nothing of value.
What about the people living there? What about strategic thought? What benefits do you hope to gain from that? This seems very impulsive and short sighted.
I would rather prefer keeping them in the eu and use the influence there still is. They should not be able to veto anything though...
He's not elected yet, Scholz is still Chancellor and Baerbock still minister of foreign affairs. The position of the foreign office regarding this definitely won't change no matter what Merz tries to virtue signal: They prefer Netanyahu a) out of office, someone please resurrect Rabin, that failing b) as far away from Germany as possible so that this whole ICC thing does not have to even be considered.
Merz is an idiot constantly, impulsively, running his mouth, either he'll get reigned in by the civil servants (and the most likely SPD foreign minister) or he's going to fall on that sword. More likely he'll find some other sword to fall on, find something else to piss everyone off that doesn't have that kind of protective cordon around it so people won't warn him off.
Can you imagine? Merz trying to repeal both ICC membership and the VStGB? Or having to argue before the constitutional court that the federal government should be able to grant immunity to known fugitives? This isn't something you can do silently, it's not even something where he can rely on party discipline. Whatever he means to gain from it, the costs are too high. Then, OTOH, he's a shit strategist.
Regrettably Hungary doesn't tow the line when it comes to EU policy. Hungary is a safe place for war criminals. I'm sure Putin can also visit whenever he wants with no repercussions.
Less hypocrisy, more dysfunction. There's a whole two EU nations that want two keep hungry around, but that's enough to keep them in it regardless of what it does.