The Hungarian presidency of the EU ends these days. As a rule, a member state of the European Union takes the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. But in the case of Hungary, one can safely speak of a person of the presidency - because in the politics of the Hungarian government, Viktor Orban is the only one who matters. It sets policy, determines the choice of rhetoric and makes decisions, sometimes down to the smallest administrative processes.
This was also the case during the Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council this year, which began on July 1, 2024. At this point, there was some diplomatic fatigue with Orbán in Europe for some time. Hungary's prime minister was sidelined for important initiatives and deals, particularly those aimed at supporting Ukraine, due to his continued veto policy - where he often appeared as a troublemaker on the diplomatic fringes and the general level of indignation had fallen.
Six months later, it can be said that Orbán made the most of his presidency of the EU Council with statements, public appearances and controversial initiatives to raise the tide of indignation again. His agitation against "Brussels bureaucrats" reached new levels. The climax was reached a few days before the end of the Presidency of the Council in a serious statement: "Brussels wants to return Hungary to Magdeburg", Orban said on December 21, 2024 during the conference of his traditional international year-end press conference in the EU, (the reference was to the car attack in Magdeburg, carried out by an Arab doctor, ed.).
Orbán's "mission of peace".
The country holding the EU Council Presidency should, at least on paper, promote good and harmonious cooperation between EU member states and EU institutions. He must ensure the continuity of the EU agenda and advance European legislation. The Presidency can set priorities, but it must not pursue its own interests, but act in the interest of the community of EU states.
Hungary had formulated priorities for its Council Presidency, including strengthening EU competitiveness, a better enlargement policy for the Western Balkans region and curbing illegal migration. But Viktor Orbán used the Presidency of the Council of the EU mainly for his politics.
From its very beginning, for example, with the uncoordinated diplomatic initiative to end the "Slavic fratricidal war", as he calls Russia's war against Ukraine. Four days after the start of the EU Presidency, he traveled to Moscow and visited Russian President Vladimir Putin without coordination with the EU and NATO. Orban spoke of a "peace mission". Three days ago he was in Kiev for his first bilateral visit. Apparently they knew nothing there about Orbán's planned visit to Russia.
The West as a "warmonger"
The "peace mission" caused strong reactions and disapproval, as Hungary has practically no diplomatic influence internationally and is not an acceptable mediator, at least for Ukraine, due to its long-standing stubborn anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian stance . Even within NATO, Hungary is no longer considered a reliable partner due to its pro-Russian stance. However, Orban has so far continued without giving up his "mission of peace". Just a few days ago, after a phone call with Putin, he suggested a "Christmas truce" and a major prisoner exchange.
The "mission" was repeatedly accompanied by accusations against the "warmongering" West, according to Orbán, the real culprit in Russia's war. At the same time, Hungary's prime minister repeatedly praised former and future US president Donald Trump , as a "man of peace" and "the only one on the planet" capable of ending the war in Ukraine.
MEGA: - "Make Europe Great Again"
The Hungarian Prime Minister also started his second important project at the beginning of the Presidency of the Council of the EU. In the spirit of Donald Trump, it is called "Make Europe Great Again", MEGA for short, and consists of the establishment of the right-wing nationalist-populist group "Patriots for Europe" in the European Parliament. The third-strongest parliamentary group there as of July 2024 has the most important European right-wing populists as members, including Orban's Fidesz, the French Rassemblement National, the Dutch Freedom Party and the Austrian FPÖ.
This international of nationalists is supported by anti-immigrant and sovereignist positions. Orban himself talks about having to "occupy Brussels" in order to save Europe from decay and ruin. In reality, Orban seems less and less interested in any kind of shared Europe. In recent months he has continuously propagated the concept of "economic neutrality policy" for Hungary.
Criticism of the "formation of economic blocs"
This is more than a continuation of the "opening to the East", as Hungarian economic policy was called a few years ago. Orban criticizes the EU for its "formation of an economic bloc" and is convinced that Europe in its current form does not can survive in global competition He sees Asia and the BRICS countries as the future geopolitical centers and believes that they, as the economically stronger ones, will set the rules.
Orban constantly insults the West on moral and ideological grounds, and wants Hungary, as a small country, to maintain good and ideological-free relations with world power and economic centers, especially China and Russia. He also wants good relations with Turkey, Belarus, Israel, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania and several countries in the Middle East - all countries led by leaders similar to his own.
At the end of 2024, Hungary will hand over the EU Council Presidency to Poland. The country was a close political ally until voters ousted right-wing populist nationalist rulers in the fall of 2023. Relations between the two countries are currently at an all-time low.
That there is currently a huge gap between Hungary and Poland became abundantly clear over Christmas. Orban described Russian President Vladimir Putin as "our correct partner" in a Christmas interview with the pro-government Magyar Nemzet newspaper. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk was stunned - and in a post on X recalled recent Russian war crimes and bombings in recent days. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Russia bombed homes in Kryvyi Rih, the birthplace of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and energy facilities across Ukraine with dozens of missiles and drones./ DW (A2 Televizion)
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