On July 1, Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will last until December 31, 2024. This has caused unease in the European Parliament, as the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán violates the rule of law and the strategic interests of the EU.
While the rise of the far right in the recent EU elections has given Orbán a boost, the EU’s political agenda could limit Hungary’s influence in the Council in the coming months.
The Hungarian presidency has already caused controversy with its unoriginal, Trump-imitating slogan “Make Europe Great Again (MEGA)”. While Hungarian diplomats deny that this slogan was copied, admiration This is no secret for the US tycoon – he has even stated that the Council Presidency will coincide with the upcoming US elections.
Nor does Orbán do much to hide his affinity with Putin – whom he congratulated on his recent re-election – or with Xi Jinping, despite the Hungarian government’s strong anti-communist stance. In addition, Orbán has repeatedly criticised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, blaming him for the outbreak of the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war.
Hungary’s loyalty is viewed with suspicion across the continent, even by conservative right-wing politicians such as Giorgia Meloni and by Swedish and Czech nationalists.
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Why the Council Presidency is important
The Council of the EU (not to be confused with the European Council or the Council of Europe) is, alongside the European Parliament, one of the two EU institutions with legislative power. It is composed of ministers from the 27 member states, grouped by portfolio, and is headed by a president who changes every six months.
Although the Council has legislative powers, the 2007 Treaty of Lisbon limited its powers to favour the European Parliament, particularly on foreign policy issues. In addition, the Council does not have the power to propose new EU laws – this is the responsibility of the European Commission.
Hungary takes over the Presidency immediately after the recent European Parliament elections. The EU institutions will therefore have to deal with the allocation of political positions and the formation of a new Commission, and the Council will not be able to carry out as much legislative activity as under other circumstances.
The Finnish presidency in 2019 also coincided with the aftermath of the elections and achieved much less than the Austrian and French presidencies before and after them. In addition, the Belgian presidency in the first half of 2024 accelerated negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova, as well as the recent package of sanctions against Russia, so that they could get underway before Hungary took over.
With the victory of centrist, pro-European politician Donald Tusk in Poland last year, Orbán lost a strong ally in the Council, but he can still count on the support of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, a left-wing populist politician who is also an ally of Putin.
Read more: Who is Robert Fico? The controversial Slovakian prime minister is in a stable but serious condition after the assassination attempt
Orbán’s ultra-conservative government will prioritize issues such as illegal immigration – a favorite topic of every right-wing populist party – and EU enlargement of the Western Balkans over Ukraine. He will also actively avoid certain topics such as climate policy or the rule of law. His opposition to “LGBTQ+ propaganda,” feminism and “green ideology” will further influence the course of Hungary’s six-month term at the head of the Council.
The most corrupt country in the EU takes the helm
Over the past three years, the EU has frozen funds worth around 30 billion euros because of the Hungarian government’s attacks on the independence of the judiciary and the press, its homophobic and racist policies, and rampant corruption among members of its executive.
In fact, according to Transparency International, Hungary is considered the most corrupt country of the 27 EU member states. Orbán’s family and friends have become disproportionately rich through European funds and company takeovers in the style of a Russian oligarchy.
Orbán has fought against EU sanctions by blocking key decisions and processes, including Ukraine and Moldova’s accession negotiations, the €50 billion aid package for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. The strategy amounts to blackmail. The aim is to paralyze the EU and force it to release the withheld funds.
No exit from the EU
Despite its hostile attitude towards the Union, Hungary’s exit from the EU is not up for debate as the country’s fragile economy is heavily dependent on European funds. This is reflected in public opinion – 73 percent of the country’s citizens are in favour of EU membership, according to Eurobarometer data.
Border view.
Instead of leaving the EU, Orbán’s government is therefore seeking to strengthen the sovereignty of national governments at the expense of EU bureaucracy and the federal superstructure – similar to what the French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen advocates.
In any case, Orbán’s power at home is now being challenged by a rival from within his own party – Péter Magyar, a former prominent member of Orbán’s Fidesz party and ex-husband of Orbán’s former justice minister, Judit Varga. By airing the ruling party’s dirty laundry publicly, Magyar won the votes of those who were disappointed with Orbán in the European elections, and he vowed to put an end to the corruption that appears to be endemic in Hungary’s ruling party.
