Hungarian EU presidency will promote right-wing agenda

Significance

The Hungarian presidency will begin amid rising support for nationalist forces in the bloc. The power of the EU Council presidency is limited to setting the bloc’s order of business. Budapest’s priorities largely reflect Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s domestic agenda.

Impacts

• Hungary will try to accelerate trade negotiations between the EU and South-east Asian states.
• The prospects of Romania and Bulgaria obtaining full membership of the Schengen free-movement area by 2025 will improve.
• Budapest will likely lose the influential enlargement and neighbourhood portfolio in the next European Commission.