A modified version of Trump’s slogan is set to be the central theme of the Hungarian Council Presidency. “Make Europe Great Again!” will dominate the agenda for the next six months under Viktor Orbán’s leadership of the EU. The slogan and Hungary’s priorities were unveiled yesterday (Tuesday), encompassing efforts to bolster European competitiveness and defence policies, stronger measures against illegal migration, and a reform of European agricultural policies.

Discussions about the rule of law and democracy, including the ongoing Article 7 proceedings against Hungary, are expected to play only a minor role during the Council Presidency. Nevertheless, the program is diplomatically formulated, in stark contrast to the verbal outbursts of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his cabinet members. Notably, the program identifies Russia as the “aggressor” in the Ukraine conflict and underscores “gender equality” as a political objective. Neither of these statements has previously been made publicly by the Orbán government.

Daniel Freund, Member of the European Parliament for the Greens, comments:

“Orbán launching his Council Presidency with the Trump slogan is tasteless. MAGA symbolizes vigilante justice and assaults on democracy in the USA. The Orbán version ‘MEGA’ reveals his vision for the EU: towards autocratic rule. Allowing him, the first autocrat ever, to occupy this top position in the EU is utterly unacceptable.”

“Don’t be misled by Orbán’s ambitious yet diplomatically worded program for the next six months. At the EU level, his government’s primary objective is to unfreeze EU funds. There’s a concern that he may misuse the authority of the Council Presidency to achieve this goal. Ultimately, we will assess the Orbán government based on its actions. There’s a real risk of obstruction, particularly concerning support for Ukraine, migration policies, and upholding the rule of law within the EU.”

The complete program of the Hungarian Council Presidency can be found on the following website: https://hungarian-presidency.consilium.europa.eu/en/programme/priorities/?etrans=de