Hungary begins EU presidency with focus on economic and defense policy, omitting support for Ukraine
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Hungary has begun its second six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will end on December 31, 2024, notably omitting support for Ukraine from its stated priorities.
The presidency "rotates among the 27 EU member states every six months," according to the Council's official website.
Budapest has already announced its priorities for the upcoming presidency, which include increasing the EU's economic competitiveness, strengthening defense policy, shaping the "cohesion policy," promoting a “farmer-oriented” agricultural policy, addressing demographic challenges, and ensuring a “coherent and merit-based enlargement policy.”
Notably, support for Kyiv is not included in these priorities, but on June 18, the country's permanent representative to the EU, Balint Odor, said that Hungary will closely monitor developments in Ukraine.
This follows an earlier report by the Hungarian news portal Telex on June 30 that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Austria's far-right Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl, and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš had announced the formation of a new right-wing group in the European Parliament.
"We are taking responsibility for launching an alliance that will lead as the strongest right-wing coalition in Europe," Orbán said. "The strongest Austrian, Hungarian, and Czech right-wing forces are now sitting before you."
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