- Hungary’s six-month presidency in the European Council starts amidst significant disagreements with EU management
BUDAPEST/BRUSSELS, July 1. /TASS/. Hungary begins its six-month presidency in the European Council amid serious disagreements with the EU management on a number of issues, including in regards to the conflict in Ukraine and migration. On July 1, it will succeed Belgium, and, in late December, it will hand over the presidency to Poland.
The complicated relations between Budapest and Brussels are even reflected in the presidency’s motto: “Let’s make Europe great again!,” which resembles the campaign slogan of US ex-President Donald Trump, who enjoys no support from the EU leadership, but who is being openly supported by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
While announcing the agenda of the Hungarian presidency, Orban said that putting a prompt end to the conflict in Ukraine is its most important point. “We advocate the end of the war,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the conflict in Ukraine still “casts a shadow on all events in the EU.”
Such words contradict that claims made by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, who talks not about ending the conflict, but about achievement of victory for Ukraine at any cost.
The expansion of the EU is another important point of the agenda. There are five official membership candidates in the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. Hungary believes that their accession will “provide new energy and a new impetus,” which the EU needs so much today.
Meanwhile, Hungary believes that the expansion process does not tolerate double standards, and politicization must be avoided in this issue. Therefore, Ukraine, which enjoys the support of the EU in regards to the accession process, must meet the same criteria as all other candidates.
