On Monday, July 1, it was time for Belgium to hand over the presidency to Hungary. As the country holding the presidency, Hungary will plan and lead the work of the Council of the European Union – also called the Council of Ministers – until the turn of the year.
The fact that Hungary was next in line to lead EU work has been a major concern in the Union for a long time.
The country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is known to fight back on most issues, and his image as an authoritarian leader was further reinforced when Hungary presented its slogan for the presidency: “Make Europe great again” – a clear nod to former US President Donald Trump .
– But it is a little unclear what he means by that, says EU journalist Ylva Nilsson.
May become “double presidency”
One interpretation is that Orbán wants to bring the right of decision back to the member states. According to Ylva Nilsson, however, such an arrangement would not provide a common EU fund and therefore no EU grants either.
– And that seems to be what he wants most from the EU, namely the EU contributions.
At the same time, Orbán often conducts aggressive campaigns against the EU at home in Hungary, where he has previously called the EU a dictatorship and EU leaders tyrants.
There is therefore a chance that Hungary will hold a “double presidency”.
– The EU officials have promised to take care of the agenda in Brussels, and at the same time Orbán will probably continue to speak badly of the EU at home in Budapest. That’s what many people think it will look like, says Ylva Nilsson.
“No one feels really safe”
At the same time, the club falls to Hungary just after the EU elections. A large part of the six months Hungary has at its disposal will therefore be devoted to appointing a new commission.
This means that no new bills will be presented in the coming months.
– It is only in January 2025 that we can expect EU work to really start again, says Ylva Nilsson.
Have concerns about the Hungarian presidency been exaggerated?
– I’m tempted to say yes, but we don’t yet know what he will come up with during this half year. He has been a fiend at putting in vetoes and causing all sorts of trouble. And one thing we know – he will probably continue to veto when it comes to paying out money to Ukraine, says Ylva Nilsson and continues:
– There is a kind of hope that this might be the best six months to put Hungary at the helm. One hopes that it goes quickly and that they don’t have time to mess things up. But no one feels really safe.