Hungary took over the EU presidency on Monday and has pledged to be an “honest broker” despite widespread concerns about the country's described as authoritarian and pro-Russian government.
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Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has ruled the Central European country since 2010 with a vision of transforming it into an “illiberal democracy”, has frequently clashed with the EU over the rule of law and human rights issues.
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He is also the only EU leader to maintain ties with Russia despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine: he has refused to supply arms to Kiev and has repeatedly condemned sanctions against Moscow over the war.
The European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution last year highlighting a “backslide” in Hungary's democratic values ​​and questioning how the country could “credibly” take on the six-month presidency of the European Union.
Budapest has insisted it is ready to assume the “duties and responsibilities” of leading a 27-nation coalition.
“We will be an honest mediator and cooperate in good faith with all member states and institutions,” Hungary's EU minister, Janos Boka, said when announcing the presidency's platform in mid-June.
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“At the same time, I believe that Hungary has a strong mandate to pursue a strong European policy. Our work will reflect this European vision,” he added.
Hungary's policy slogan? “Make Europe Great Again,” echoing that of former US President Donald Trump, a “good friend” of Orbán's, which has already caused a stir in Brussels.
After Hungary last held the EU presidency in 2011, Mr Orbán boasted that he had given the “agitated bullies” in the European Parliament a “nudge”, a “slap” and a “friendly slap in the face”.
The 61-year-old nationalist leader has become even more militant this time, vowing to “occupy Brussels” in hopes of a right-wing surge during the campaign for European Parliament elections in early June.
But despite the rise of far-right parties, Orban's Fidesz party now finds itself isolated in the European Parliament, unable to find a suitable group for itself.
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Orban announced on Sunday that he wanted to form his own group together with Austria's far-right Freedom Party and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's centrist ANO party.
They still need parties from at least four other countries to join.
Last week, Orban failed to block a deal to return Ursula von der Leyen to the powerful European Commission and to keep two other top posts with two members of his centre-right coalition.
Meanwhile, von der Leyen has postponed a visit to Budapest that she had originally planned to make to mark her new presidency, with a new date yet to be decided.
In an effort to rally support for Hungary's policies, Prime Minister Orban toured major European capitals last week.
Among the country's seven priorities for the EU presidency are stopping “irregular migration” and taking a “step forward” towards EU membership for the Western Balkans.
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Orban can use his presidency to set the policy agenda but will not get results without the committee's support, Daniel Hegedus, a senior research fellow at the German Marshall Fund, told AFP.
He also noted that the outgoing Belgian presidency and EU institutions are rushing to make important decisions, leaving the Hungarian prime minister with limited opportunities to act as an obstructionist.
Last week, the European Union adopted new sanctions against Russia and formally launched “historic” accession talks with Ukraine.
“Everyone is trying to reduce instability, which limits the Hungarian presidency's room for maneuver,” Hegedus said.
But he added that he expects more trolling on the communications front.
Amid Hungary's dispute with the EU, Budapest is seeking to free up billions of euros of EU funds that have been frozen over issues including LGBTQ rights, the treatment of asylum seekers and public procurement.
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