The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU: Navigating the EU in Times of Change
The Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU: Navigating the EU in Times of Change

Author(s): Sava Mitrović
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Governance, EU-Approach / EU-Accession / EU-Development, EU-Legislation
Published by: Centar za evropske politike CEP
Keywords: Presidency of the Council of the EU; European Parliament; Hungarian Presidency
Summary/Abstract: Following Spain and Belgium, the Presidency of the Council of the EU moves to Central Europe to close the Trio launched on 1 July 2023. Hungary, a nation of moderate size and economic strength but with above-average political ambitions, is set to assume the Presidency. For the next six months, the EU Council will be chaired by a country that has often been viewed as challenging the EU’s founding values and complicating its decision-making processes. Namely, the European Parliament officially questioned the credibility of the Hungarian Government in driving forward the Council’s legislative work, while others warned of the potentially harmful effects Hungarian agenda-setting could have on various policy areas. To further complicate matters, the Hungarian Presidency coincides with the beginning of a new institutional cycle when the recently established European Parliament still needs to take a vote on the new College of European Commissioners. For added complexity, all this happens in the context of the increased power of right-wing parties in the European Parliament.1 All these factors generated a range of concerns about Hungary’s approach to leading the Council, especially amid prolonged periods of uncertainty shaped by the EU’s ongoing geopolitical and economic challenges.

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