Hungarian EU Presidency Watch

Hungary holds the EU Presidency in the second half of 2024, creating opportunities to significantly influence both policymaking and the public discourse in the EU, and more broadly on the international stage. Political Capital has been monitoring the presidency and publishing bi-weekly reports entitled Hungarian EU Presidency Watch.

Given the Hungarian government’s controversial rhetoric on the EU and its position on EU (and partly NATO) policies, including but not limited to supporting Ukraine and sanctioning Russia for its aggression, it is important to understand and raise awareness of Hungary's policies and communication activities that may indirectly advance conflicting geopolitical interests in European societies at such critical times.

• The Hungarian presidency can be characterized by a mix of "honest broker" and "trolling" approaches. The duplicitous tactic of the presidency is illustrated by the fact that, while it tries to maintain its role as an honest broker at the policy level, with lower-level ministry leaders, officials and experts working hard to achieve results, at the political level, the top leadership seeks to troll and clash with the European mainstream, including the European Commission and most member states governments.
• The EU Presidency is not at the forefront of the government's domestic communication, but it is used as a reference or proof of success when needed. The Hungarian government has made it clear that it intends to use the attention and symbolic power that come with the presidency to troll and provoke the European mainstream, punch above its weight, amplify its messages internationally, make gestures to its authoritarian partners and illiberal allies, and present the prime minister as a successful and respected European leader and global peacemaker. Among others, this is evident in the MEGA slogan ("Make Europe Great Again"), Viktor Orbán's July diplomatic tour, which he refers to as a "peace mission," and the quick trip to Georgia following the controversial October election.

With our reports, we aim to foster a more informed and resilient political environment in the North Atlantic through data-driven research, public awareness and advocacy. These analyses are intended to assist you in navigating the complexities of the Hungarian EU Presidency.

Reports

We publish our reports on a bi-weekly basis until the end of 2024. A final report will be published in January 2025.

• A Volatile Unity: Hungary's Leadership Amid Geopolitical Shift and EU Challenges - 13 November 2024
• Gearing up for the big show amid a "peace mission" 2.0 and new levels of anti-EU rhetoric – 30 October 2024
• In the shadow of the “Strasbourg Battle” – 16 October 2024
• Prioritizing politics over policy? – A review of the Hungarian EU Presidency’s first three months – 2 October 2024
• Trolling to weaken the EU while winking at Trump: the first week of Hungary's rotating EU presidency – 10 July 2024

The project is funded by the Open Information Partnership.