Council of the EU: European Parliament calls for Hungary not to hold its presidency

MEPs voted on Thursday 1st June a resolution by 442 votes to 144 to ask the 27 to postpone the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU. They fear that Hungary will be at the helm at a time when it is embroiled in several disputes with the European Commission over its breaches of the rule of law. For MEPs, Hungary is not in a position to steer the European Union or to represent it.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for the European Political Community summit at Mimi Castle in Bulboaca, Moldova, June 1, 2023. AP - Vadim Ghirda

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With our correspondent in Brussels, Pierre Benazet

MEPs adopted a resolution on Thursday summarizing their concern about the rule of law in Hungary and stressing, according to them, the inability of the Magyar government to preside over the Council of the EU, to propose compromises, to set common priorities and even to represent the Union.

Yet this is what Hungary will have to do, especially since it takes over the presidency on 1 July 2024, at a crucial date, just after the European elections and therefore at the time of the choice of the new presidents of the common institutions.

MEPs point out that the order of six-monthly presidencies, although set years in advance, has already been upset several times, most recently because of Brexit and previously because of the accession of new member states to the EU.

If the 27 refuse to postpone the Hungarian presidency, some MEPs propose to make these six months a platform for the Magyar opposition in the European Parliament, to refuse to organise meetings or press conferences with the presidency and above all to refuse informal negotiations on legislative texts and to submit everything to lengthy voting procedures.

>> READ ALSO: Unease in Brussels at the idea of Hungary holding the presidency of the EU

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  • European Union
  • Hungary