Hungary’s Orban takes over Council of the European Union presidency for six months. Starting today, July 1, Hungary will assume the rotating presidency of the Council, during a period of transition for both the Parliament in Strasbourg and the Commission.

The complicated relations between Budapest and Brussels are even reflected in the presidency’s motto: “Let’s make Europe great again!”, which resembles the campaign slogan of US ex-President Donald Trump, who enjoys no support from the EU leadership, but who is being openly supported by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

While announcing the agenda of the Hungarian presidency, Orban said that putting a prompt end to the conflict in Ukraine is its most important point: “We advocate the end of the war. The conflict in Ukraine still casts a shadow on all events in the EU”.

The expansion of the EU is another important point of the agenda. There are 5 official membership candidates in the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. Hungary believes that their accession will “provide new energy and a new impetus”, which the EU needs so much today.

Meanwhile, Hungary believes that the expansion process does not tolerate double standards, and politicization must be avoided in this issue.