The Hungarian government doesn’t assume the presidency of the European Union until July 1, but Prime Minister Viktor Orban has already antagonised some members of the bloc with his choice of Hungary’s slogan: “Make Europe Great Again”.
The phrase, a nod to the campaign mantra of former US president and Orban friend Donald Trump, was unveiled by Hungary’s EU Affairs Minister Janos Boka in a press conference ahead of the start of the presidency.
When asked about the choice, Boka said that the cabinet’s goal was to carry out an “active presidency” for the second half of the year.
Within the EU, Orban has styled himself as a dissenter. He has maintained ties with President Vladimir Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has vetoed or stalled planned sanctions against the country.
The European Commission has halted billions of euros in funds to Hungary over rule of law and corruption issues.
Boka avoided bringing up Trump during the press conference, responding to a question about him by saying: “I’m not sure if President Trump ever wanted to make Europe great again”.
During its presidency, Hungary intends to focus on strengthening competitiveness, defence, border-crossing energy cooperation, striking partnership deals on migration, and carrying out an expansion policy in the Western Balkans.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
