Hungarian populist Orban to take over EU presidency | Wilnesh News

When Hungary takes over the EU on July 1, many politicians in Brussels will be wondering the same thing: whether populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will use the role to further promote his role as the EU’s chief spoiler reputation.

In recent years, Orban has appeared to relish the opportunity to block, downplay or delay key EU decisions, often working at odds with most other leaders on issues such as the war in Ukraine, relations with Russia and China and the defense of democracy and freedoms. rule.

His open opposition to EU policies and positions has long frustrated his EU partners and pushed him to the fringes of the continent’s mainstream. Hungary’s presidential motto – “Make Europe Great Again” – has attracted attention due to its similarity to former US President Donald Trump’s famous slogan.

The EU Presidency is held by member states on a rotating basis, and while the position carries little real power, it does allow countries to keep their priorities high on the European agenda.

Now, since Hungary belongs to the 27-nation bloc in the next six months, it is likely to continue its anti-EU rhetoric, said Dorka Takács, a researcher at the Euro-Atlantic Center for Integration and Democracy.

But she said the timetable for the Budapest presidency, which begins with a long summer break and a transition period to form a new European Parliament and executive committee, would not give Budapest the opportunity to stray significantly from EU priorities.

“Those six months are actually not that long, which means … even if critics think it is, Hungary will not do much potential harm,” Takács said.

As the Hungarian takeover looms, leaders in Brussels rush to push through key policy decisions while Belgium remains at the helm. For example, on Tuesday, the E.U. Start EU accession negotiations with candidate countries Ukraine and Moldova.

Orban has publicly opposed and threaten to block Ukraine’s candidacy. His government also Blocking EU efforts to supply Ukraine Funds are urgently needed.

However, with Ukraine’s accession process already underway, the most Hungary can do during its presidency is to delay further steps towards joining the EU, a process that in any case could take years, Takács said. time.

“All meaningful steps on the part of Europe regarding Ukraine have been completed,” she said. “According to most European leaders, (the Hungarians’) delay has been calculated and taken into account as if it was the most likely thing to happen.”

Orban has long been accused of dismantling democratic institutions and violating EU rule of law standards, leading EU lawmakers in May to call for the presidency to be taken away from Hungary entirely.

The EU Parliament argued in a resolution that democratic shortcomings raise the question of “how Hungary can reliably fulfill this task in 2024.” Two years ago, the European Commission froze billions of euros in funding to Budapest Concerns about democratic backsliding by the government.

But some Hungarian officials stressed they planned to take constructive action during their term as president. “We will be an honest intermediary, working faithfully with all member states and institutions,” Hungarian EU Affairs Minister János Boka told reporters last week.

“It is our obligation to fulfill the duties of the presidency, but we see it primarily as an opportunity,” Boca said. “At the beginning of a new institutional cycle, we can initiate debate and set the agenda on issues that matter to us.”

One of Hungary’s priorities in its seven-point plan is to expand the EU’s influence in the Western Balkans through a “merit-based” process for countries such as Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania.

Budapest has also vowed to strengthen the EU’s external borders, step up its crackdown on illegal immigration and address the “demographic challenge” of Europe’s aging population – two priorities that reflect Orban’s image as a staunch opponent of immigration and a defender of family values. .

But after years of portraying the EU as a propaganda campaign to impose unpopular policies on Hungary – Orban has repeatedly compared EU membership to Hungary’s more than four decades of Soviet occupation – he may will find it difficult to restore goodwill among EU partners.

“The Hungarian government has been using the image of Brussels as a punching bag,” Takács said. “It’s a bit hard to convey the message now that for these brief six months we were basically the Brussels of Hungary waging war and its freedom struggle.”

The Belgian prime minister offered some advice to Orban before he took office in Hungary, saying the position “does not mean you are the boss of Europe.”

“Being president means you have to make compromises,” Alexander De Croo told reporters in Brussels on Thursday. “It’s an interesting situation to be in at least once in your life where you have to make compromises, so I can definitely recommend it to Mr. Orbán.”