Hungary, under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) on Monday. The motto for Hungary’s presidency is “Let’s make Europe great again.” Orbán took over the presidency from the Belgian Prime Minister in Brussels, where he met with Alexander De Croo, the head of the Belgian government, which previously held the rotating presidency of the EU for the last six months.
Hungarian European Affairs Minister János Bóka stated that the central objective of Hungary’s EU presidency is to strengthen European competitiveness. The Hungarian presidency aims to sign a new European pact for competitiveness during its term, focusing on identifying areas for decision-making to enhance competitiveness.
Apart from competitiveness, Hungary’s presidency priorities include common defense, defense of external borders, expansion of the EU, promotion of cohesion and agricultural policies, and addressing demographic issues. Budapest also plans to promote integration processes in Western Balkan countries and deepen relations with China. However, achieving unanimous votes on foreign policy decisions is challenging within the EU due to differing opinions among member states.
The slogan chosen for Hungary’s presidency has raised eyebrows as it echoes the slogan used by former US President Donald Trump. Nevertheless, Orbán announced that he will form a new right-wing nationalist and Eurosceptic group in the European Parliament called Patriots for Europe in collaboration with parties from Austria and Czech Republic. This move has received mixed responses from some who view it as provocative but signals Hungary’s commitment to its nationalist and Eurosceptic agenda.