Hungary’s Viktor Orban to take over EU presidency as stability faces many problems

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — When Hungary takes over the reins of the European Union on July 1, many politicians in Brussels may have only one thing on their minds: whether or not to have a populist prime minister. viktor orban Will value this role to increase his popularity as the main spoiler of the block.

In recent days Orbán has sounded as if he would prefer the options of banning key EU leaders, screwing up H2O or pushing for a longer term, automatically going across the grain of most alternative leaders on issues like Used to be. conflict in ukrainewith family members Russia And Chinaand attempts to restrict freedom and the rule of thumb.

His Family opposition to EU insurance policies and stances has long angered his comrades within the bloc and pushed him to the margins of the continent’s mainstream. Hungary’s motto for its presidency – Form Europe Superior Once Again – raised eyebrows due to its similarity to former US President Donald Trump’s famous tagline.

The presidency of the EU rotates among its member states, and while the position holds negligible real energy, it allows countries to place their own priorities at the top of Europe’s timetable.

Now, as Hungary remains in the 27-nation bloc for the next six months, it will likely keep up its anti-EU rhetoric, said Dorka Takacsi, a research fellow at the Center for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Sovereignty.

However, the time frame of its presidency – starting with a long summer break and a transitional period followed by the launch of an untouched ECU Parliament and Executive Commission – will give Budapest few opportunities to derail the bloc’s priorities, he said. Said.

“These six months are not that long at all, which means that … Hungary potentially cannot do much harm, even according to critics,” Takacsi said.

As Hungary’s takeover approaches, leaders in Brussels have been rushing to pursue notable coverage options while Belgium was still on top. For example, on Tuesday the E.U. Club talks launched with candidate countries Ukraine and Moldova,

Orbán has been verbally hostile and said threatened if refused Ukraine’s candidacy. His government also EU efforts to provide Ukraine halted With badly desired investment.

But Ukraine’s accession process has already begun, Takacsi said, essentially saying the most Hungary can do now under its presidency is to take additional steps toward its EU membership, a process that would in any case Setbacks are likely to last for many years.

“All meaningful steps have already been taken by the European side regarding Ukraine,” he said. “According to most European leaders, the (Hungarian) delay has already been calculated and is being considered as if it is something that is most likely to occur.”

Orban, who has long been accused of dismantling democratic institutions and violating EU standards on the rule of law, could only call for the bloc’s legislature in May to strip Hungary of the presidency.

In a reply, the EU Parliament argued that democratic shortcomings raised questions about “how Hungary will be able to credibly fulfill this task in 2024.” Two years ago, the ECU Commission gave Budapest a budget worth billions of euros issues of democratic decline Through the federal government.

However, some Hungarian officials have said they plan to behave constructively during their presidency. At the end of the year, Hungary’s Minister for EU Affairs János Bocca advised Newshound that “We will be honest brokers, working loyally with all member states and institutions.”

“We have an obligation to carry out the president’s actions, but we see this primarily as an opportunity,” Boca said. “At the beginning of the new institutional cycle, we can start a debate and set the agenda on the issues that are important to us.”

Some of the issues that Hungary has prioritized in its seven-point program include EU accession within 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 and crack down on illegal immigration and tackle “demographic challenges”, including an aging population in Europe – two priorities that are at odds with staunch opponents of immigration and national values. Symbolizes Orbán as protector of the world. ,

However, in the following years a campaign portraying the EU as imposing unacceptable policies on Hungary – Orbán has at times compared his country’s clubbing of the bloc with its more than four-decade Soviet career – left him with no support from the people. There may be difficulty in restoring kindness among their EU partners.

“The Hungarian government is using Brussels’ image as a punching bag,” Takacsi said. “It’s a little hard to explain now that for these brief six months, we are basically Brussels against whom Hungary is waging a war and a war of independence.”

With some words of recommendation for Orbán before the Hungarian takes up his post, the Belgian Prime Minister said that this position does not mean that you are the boss of Europe.

“The president means that you are the one who has to compromise,” Alexander De Croo told newshounds in Brussels on Thursday. “To be in a situation where you have to compromise is an interesting situation to have at least once in your life, so I can definitely recommend it to Mr Orbán.”