EU handover, Hungary’s six-month presidency begins

Brussels – Hungary’s rotating presidency of the EU Council begins. From today, July 1, until the end of the year, the management of legislative files passes into the hands of the government in Budapest. It will be an ‘institutional’ presidency, called upon to work on the outstanding files. With the new European Parliament in the process of being composed and the European Commission to be renewed, the Hungarian semester will thus have the task of ferrying the EU into the new cycle.

It is the second time in EU history that Hungary has held the rotating presidency since the Great enlargement of 2004 brought the country into the 12-star club. The first time was in 2011, and today, as then, the constant is Viktor Orban. He was head of government when Hungary had its first-ever rotating presidency, and he is still the leading government today.

A lot has changed since then. Relations between Orban’s Hungary and the rest of the Union have changed. Not for the better, with frictions and tensions leading the European Parliament to request to cancel the Hungarian semester. A demand that once again confirms the increasingly complex relationship with today’s Hungary. The rift subsided. The Hungarians remain in place, ready to work.

Among the highlighted priorities seen as the most pressing is the fight against illegal immigration and the need to reform the European market. Hungary’s ambassador and permanent representative to the European Union, Bálint Ódor, said the best method to prevent the arrival of immigrants is through cooperation with neighboring countries. Regarding the economy, on the other hand, Bálint Ódor evaluated positively the report by Enrico Letta, which proposes new tools to stimulate the competitiveness of the internal market. At the same time, the Hungarian Presidency wants to support more small and medium-sized enterprises that are undergoing green and digital transitions.

Bálint Ódor pointed out how Europe has changed in recent years, and the number of files the Hungarian presidency has open on the table is significantly higher than those received in 2011. Asked how Viktor Orbán’s government will act during these six months, the ambassador said: “We will be honest mediators and follow the principle of cooperation between member states and institutions.” Despite these statements, however, to have focused everyone’s attention remains the slogan “Make Europe great again,” which triggered several satirical posts on social media.