Brussels Edition

Orban’s Absence at Cyprus Summit May Expose EU Divisions

No-show by the outgoing Hungarian prime minister will lay new ground for the bloc
Ursula von der Leyen during a news conference with Viktor Orban in 2024.Photographer: John Thys/AFP/Getty Images

Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I’m Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg’s Brussels bureau chief, bringing you the latest from the EU each weekday. Make sure you’re signed up.

EU leaders are gathering this afternoon in Cyprus against the backdrop of a myriad of challenges from war in the Middle East to divisions over the bloc’s enlargement strategy.

One perennial problem they won’t have to deal with, however, is Viktor Orban. The outgoing Hungarian prime minister is skipping his last EU summit before heading for the exits.