Good morning from Brussels, Since Hungary took over the EU rotating presidency, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has irritated his EU partners with his “peace missions” in Moscow and Beijing. EU member states on Wednesday will ask for clarity about the results of the visits to Russia and China, Euractiv’s Alexandra Brzozowski has learned. Some are even considering options to rein in “destructive behaviour” that does not represent the bloc as a whole. Budapest said the Moscow visit was merely ‘collect information’ about the possibility of a ceasefire. Meanwhile, regarding China, Orbán aims to ‘de-escalate’ trade tensions, the Hungarian ambassador to the EU told Euractiv’s Thomas Moller-Nielsen. Politically, Orbán formed with his far-right partners on Monday the “Patriots for Europe” group, in which, according to Czechia’s ANO, a common position on Russia is not crucial. The “Patriots” became the third largest EU Parliament group, overtaking Giorgia Meloni’s European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). From a potential “kingmaker” before the EU elections, Meloni is now seeking her role. ECR’s Nicola Procaccini said on Sunday that the group would be a “mediator” between the “Patriots” and the centre-right EPP. But after the formation of the new far-right group, there is radio silence in Rome. “Many of its [Patriots] members are actually revolutionary forces bent on upending the existing European and Atlantic framework”, analyst Federico Reho from the Wilfried Martens Centre told Euractiv. He added that “traditional conservatives” present in various groups should coordinate better against the “dangerous sirens of conservative radicalism”. “From this perspective, the refusal of all ECR parties - except - Vox to join the new group is an interesting sign”, he noted. | 