In little than six months, Hungary will take over the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Yeah, your eyes don't confuse you. On 1 July, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will be at the head of the European Union for six months.
Orbán – the man who made Hungary autocracy, introduced the concept of “non-liberal” democracy into European politics and turned his country into a mafia state. A politician whose ministers hugged Kremlin representatives more frequently than the members of the governments of all another European countries and who, without resistance, abuses veto at EU level to force transfers of European funds. This individual will now be liable for setting the EU agenda – little than a fewer weeks after European elections, erstwhile the main positions are separated and a five-year work plan is drawn up for the Commission. Equally important, it will besides be a time erstwhile in America Donald Trump will run and search a second presidential term.
This is simply a tragic possible for Europe. But everything's not settled yet. The problem with Orbán can be resolved in a political way, as the European Parliament has already asked the associate States. He passed a resolution in June 2022 in which he questioned whether ‘Hungary could take on the Presidency of the Council in a credible way’. Members of Parliament gave the Council the task of uncovering the right solution as shortly as possible.
Nothing has happened since then. In consequence to my written question of September last year, the Commission sent me information on "the scope of meetings already held between the Commission and representatives of the Hungarian Government" to prepare for the beginning of this Presidency. The aim of the discussions was, according to the Commission, to "implement the agenda of the European Union and improve the work of the EU institutions in legislative and non-legislative matters". In another words, although Europarlament has repeatedly expressed serious reservations about the Hungarian Presidency, Orbán is already shaping the European agenda for the current year.
Some effort to convince that the Hungarian Presidency is simply a limited risk. It will begin only 3 weeks after the elections, erstwhile crucial negotiations on changes in law are not yet under way between Parliament, the Commission and the Council, so Orbán and his government will have small chance to mark their mark on EU legislation.
However, that is incorrect reasoning. The Presidency of Orbána poses a serious threat to European democracy as it begins erstwhile the agenda for the full of the European Union is formed for the next 5 years. Ministers of Orbán will chair these meetings, which will set the future of Europe.
In addition, and equally disturbing, elections in the United States will be held alongside the Hungarian Presidency. Orbán repeatedly made it clear in the past that he supported his authoritarian spiritual brother, Donald Trump. And his government accused Joe Biden's administration of machinations at the fresh U.S. elections. So what happens if Trump makes a fresh effort at a coup? What will Europe’s consequence be if Orbán’s opinion is decisive in this regard? How can the Union talk with 1 voice erstwhile all the deliberations will be conducted by the friends of her hellish enemies – Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump?
Viktor Orbán's autocratic governments in Hungary and his veto in the Council pose a serious threat to the safety of European citizens. If the Union does not take effective action before July, we are doomed to give him even more power. besides much is at stake to do nothing in the hope that things will work out. Pre-conditions should be introduced to prevent the authoritarian government of Orbán from taking the lead in the EU. And these conditions request not be political.
There are presently 2 sanctions imposed on Orbán's crew due to the systemic breach of the regulation of law: the Article 7 procedure, which could yet lead to the removal of Hungary's voting rights, and the regulation of law conditions which have already resulted in the suspension of the payment of over EUR 6 billion from EU funds. EU governments can easy convince that a associate State subject to not 1 but 2 procedures for breaking the regulation of law is incapable to take over the rotating presidency of the Council. The order of the Presidency can be changed by qualified majority. This would not mean taking Orbán as a guide. Hungary would simply gotta wait for its turn until democracy and the regulation of law are in operation in the country.
A favourite way of dealing with the majority if not all governments in EU policy is to ignore or underestimate the importance of the most pressing issues on which there is no consensus. States hotel to spychology especially erstwhile they fear that a measurement can be utilized against them 1 day. But in Orbán's case, it won't work. At the Council of the European Union last December, he showed that the art of abuse of European powers had mastered perfection. He managed to force EU funds of EUR 10 billion and he did not even gotta waive any of the vetoes he had reported.
The lesson is clear: erstwhile you give Orbán power, he abuses it. It will benefit the European Union. It's time to stop.
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Daniel Freund is a Green Euro-Parliamentarian.
Article published in stock IPS Journal. From English he translated Maciej Domagała.
