The enemy of the Hungarian presidency has been its own prime minister Viktor Orban

After overcoming half of its mandate, the broader picture of Hungary’s presidency of the Council of the EU has revealed the controversial aspects of the country. On one hand, Viktor Orbán is obstructing the work of European institutions; on the other hand, the Hungarian presidency has been completely overshadowed by its own prime minister.

The initial goals

Since Hungary took over the rotating presidency on July 1st, it initially outlined seven goals for the following six months: enhancing the EU’s competitiveness; strengthening the EU’s defense policy; making the enlargement policy coherent and merit-based; curbing illegal migration; outlining the future of cohesion policy; promoting a farmer-oriented EU agricultural policy; and addressing demographic challenges.

However, problems began before the mandate officially started, primarily due to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. During these three months of presidency, he has made several missteps for the EU institutions that have further damaged his already tarnished image. Among these missteps are missions to Russia and China, Hungary’s position on Ukraine, and issues related to Russian gas provisions.

Between national and European affairs

Right after the beginning of the mandate, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán embarked on a widely criticized peace mission for Ukraine, which included meetings with the leaders of Russia and China. This led to much speculation about what the next six months of the Hungarian presidency will mean for the EU. Through his actions, Viktor Orbán complicated the relationship between Hungary and the EU, making cooperation in these past few months challenging and making it even harder to find solutions in the next three months.

Although Orbán has consistently stated that his discussions with Beijing and Putin are not on behalf of the EU and do not involve any negotiations or agreements with these countries, his actions have raised concerns among the leaders of EU member states. Discussions have emerged about potentially removing Hungary from its presidency or shortening its six-month term, but such actions would require the agreement of a majority of EU member states.

Additionally, there is the issue of Russian gas. Hungary already has special agreements within the existing sanctions regime regarding oil imports, but it also wants to maintain imports of Russian gas in the future. This runs counter to agreements within the European Union aimed at reducing reliance on Russian gas supplies. “This is relevant because it could prevent further recession in the Hungarian economy, making it very important for Orbán and his domestic support levels, which are directly linked to that”, says an internal source in the European Parliament.

An overview of what the Hungarian presidency is coping with

Despite all the obstacles, the Hungarian presidency is following its own path, hosting and facilitating EU meetings. From the establishment of a Working Party on Defense Industry, passing through the opening of Albania’s first negotiation cluster under the revised enlargement methodology and negotiations for a regulation to facilitate cross-border solutions, the presidency is adhering to its original goals and continues to make progress toward its vision of EU. Hungarian presidency can navigate its path by striking a balance between national interests and broader European priorities, but it will need the alignment of its government to overcome the next three months of mandate.