Romanian president Klaus Iohannis was involved in a controversial episode on Thursday, November 7, when he turned his back to Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban in an apparent diplomatic snub. The latter was officially welcoming him to Budapest for the informal European Council meeting.

After he arrived at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, president Klaus Iohannis stepped out of the car and went directly to the Chief of Protocol of the Presidential Administration. The two spoke for 19 seconds, during which Iohannis had his back to Orban, who was waiting to greet him formally. The latter is seen on camera smiling awkwardly. 

Hungarian media outlets, including Szeretlek Magyarország, reported that Iohannis exited his car “as if Viktor Orban did not exist,” immediately turning his back on the prime minister to converse with an adviser, instead of acknowledging Orbán with a glance or handshake. After the 19 seconds, Iohannis turned toward Orban, greeted him, the two shook hands, and smiled as if nothing unusual had occurred, as can be seen in the video by Observator News.

Orban received over 50 international delegates on the same day. Each arrival was greeted with a handshake and a brief exchange, followed by an official photograph, but the interaction with the Romanian president stood out and was seen as a diplomatic snub.

The next day of the meeting, however, Klaus Iohannis did not repeat the gesture, instead going directly to shake Orban’s hand.

During the fifth meeting of the European Political Community, European leaders focused on the situation in Ukraine, as well as issues related to migration and economic security. As host and backer of Donald Trump, the next president of the US, the Hungarian PM, at times at odds with the EU with regard to the war in Ukraine, was in a power position.

In his remarks, Klaus Iohannis stressed the importance of effective implementation of the EU Migration Pact, a tool that could prove useful in relations with partners outside the EU. He also mentioned that Romania is already implementing some of the Pact’s provisions through a pilot project conducted at the border with Serbia, which has become a model of best practices in terms of returns, asylum procedures, and the prevention of illegal migration, according to the official press release.

Additionally, Klaus Iohannis referred to the importance of regional operational cooperation, noting recent projects Romania is carrying out with other European partners (Bulgaria, Greece, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia) and with the European Commission to manage migration effectively. 

The Romanian president underscored that Romania remains committed both to implementing effective migration management measures and to ensuring the security of the EU’s external borders. He reiterated that completing Romania’s Schengen accession process is not only an important national political goal but also reflects a firm commitment to the European project. 

There was also a dedicated meeting to support the Republic of Moldova, attended by the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, and leaders from Romania, France, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom, as well as the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The participating leaders adopted a joint declaration welcoming the results of Moldova’s referendum and presidential elections, pledging to continue providing the necessary support for the country to pursue reforms and counter external interference.