On Wednesday, PM Viktor Orban will present the Hungarian EU presidency’s agenda to members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. He hinted at this during a recent speech in Kotcse, where he declared:
I'm at the disposal of every Member of the European Parliament.
Mr. Orban's speech was initially scheduled for the September plenary session, but due to the flood situation, the Hungarian prime minister postponed all his international obligations, a decision that European Parliament President Roberta Metsola understood, and arranged for PM Orban to present Hungary's program at the next plenary session.
In Strasbourg, PM Orban will outline the priorities of Hungary’s six-month EU presidency during Wednesday’s plenary session. These include:
improving competitiveness, rethinking Europe's security policy, executing EU enlargement based on merit-based conditions, preventing illegal immigration, revising the EU's cohesion policy, a farmer-focused shift in approach in the Common Agricultural Policy, and addressing demographic challenges.
The presentation will likely be followed by a tense debate. Since Hungary assumed the presidency on July 1, the country has faced sharp criticism, particularly concerning the peace mission conducted at the start of its term. Attacks against PM Orban in view of his upcoming speech alreadey began before September's plenary session in Brussels.
Following PM Orban's address on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to respond on behalf of the Commission. Following her, leaders of the parliamentary fractions will each have three to five minutes to make their remarks. Other MEPs will also be given the opportunity to contribute within a limited timeframe. This will allow critics, such as Daniel Freund, a German Green Party politician known for his anti-Hungarian rhetoric, and Peter Magyar from the European People's Party, to express their views. Mr. Magyar has already announced via Facebook that he intends to use the full five minutes for his speech.
This is not the first time PM Orban has addressed the European Parliament. In 2018, he held the floor during the debate on the Sargentini report concerning Hungary’s rule of law.
The four-day plenary session will cover a variety of other issues, including a commemoration of Hamas's terror attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, discussions about border control, and the devastating wildfires in Southern Europe.
