GETTY Viktor Orban launched a furious attack on Emmanuel Macron

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Budapest’s firebrand chief Viktor Orban brought the veneer of EU unity crashing down to earth as he tore into his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and accused him of being naive about how Europe works. In an excoriating attack the right-wing populist said 39-year-old Mr Macron would “soon get to know his way around” Brussels and said his debut appearance at an EU summit had “not been too encouraging”.

Mr Orban was responding to forthright comments by the French president in a series of newspaper interviews about Eastern European countries’ refusal to accept migrant quotas. Earlier this week the Paris chief had accused countries like Hungary and Poland of “turning their backs on Europe” by openly opposing the relocation of refugees.

GETTY The Hungarian leader and his French counterpart got off to a rocky start

In a brutal diplomatic attack he said Eastern European leaders had shown “a cynical approach to the union that only served to dispense credit without respecting its values”. And he raged: “Europe isn’t a supermarket. Europe is a common destiny. It is weakened when it accepts its principles being rejected. “The countries in Europe that don’t respect the rules should have to face the political consequences. And that’s not just an East-West debate.” Arriving at the second day of the EU summit in Brussels today, Mr Orban was asked about the comments and hit back at his inexperienced French counterpart in withering fashion.

Macron’s introduction isn’t too encouraging Viktor Orban

He said: “Macron’s introduction [to Brussels] isn’t too encouraging. He thought the best way to show friendship was to immediately stampede into central European countries. “This isn’t how we do things around here, but he’ll soon get to know his way around.” The Hungarian premier also risked further inflaming tensions with his European counterparts by making the incendiary claim that there will “never be a consensus” within the EU over migration. In a set of deeply controversial comments he claimed that Western European countries were trying to “get rid of the migrants they unjustifiably let in” by sending them to Eastern Europe.

EU Summit 2017: Best pictures Fri, June 23, 2017 European heads of states and governments gather for a two-days European Council meeting which will mainly 'focus on the ongoing efforts to strengthen the European Union and protect its citizens through the work on counterterrorism, security and defence, external borders, illegal migration and economic development' Play slideshow EPA 1 of 37 German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) give a press conference at the end of the second day of the European Council in Brussels, Belgium, 23 June 2017