Politico today warned that “an unchecked” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will be “ruling the [European] Council roost for the six months directly after the 2024 European election,” if the current Council President Charles Michel goes ahead with his announced plan to run in this year’s EU Parliament election. It is already the case that Hungary holds the European Council’s rotating presidency over July and December 2024.
RT reports that “Orbán has been at odds with officials in Brussels on many fronts. The Hungarian prime minister has been critical of EU migration policy, and has consistently opposed sending arms to Ukraine, as well as its accelerated integration into the EU. He has also slammed EU sanctions against Moscow, saying they hurt the bloc’s economy. Hungary also blocked a €50 billion aid package ($55 billion) for Kiev, which was meant to be disbursed between 2024 and 2027, while lashing out at the EU decision to freeze billions of euros in assistance to Budapest.”