France opposes appointing Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who was defeated in the country’s national elections, as the next UN Secretary-General as a kind of compensation.

The French government spokesperson stated this, responding to a question from French senator Stephane Demilly about whether such an appointment of the aforesaid Hungarian politician deprived of power was possible.

“The UN Secretary General’s post should not become a consolation prize for a leader who was defeated in the elections and rejected by his own people,” the French government spokesperson stressed. Paris emphasizes that it will not allow the UN to be weakened, since France is one of its founders.

According to the French government spokesman, the aforesaid organization should not be paralyzed by the actions of superpowers that are trying to impose the right of the strong on the international community.

France is convinced that justice and freedom for all peoples can only be ensured in a world order based on rules and international law. Cooperation within the UN framework stems not only from France's foreign policy principles, but also from the country's national interests.

The French government spokesperson added that without multilateral diplomacy and international cooperation, it is impossible to effectively protect people from wars, the risks of artificial intelligence, climate change, and pandemics. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, France is in favor of a radical reform of the organization to make it more legitimate and representative. In particular,

Paris proposes limiting the veto power of permanent members of the Security Council in cases where it is necessary to protect civilians. As examples of such crises, the French government spokesperson mentioned Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, and Iran.

He stressed that France expects reforms from the new UN Secretary General that strengthen the organization, not measures that will shake confidence in it.