After Belgium, the unpredictable Hungary: Viktor Orbán’s country takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU from today Monday, for six months, and has pledged, to reassure Brussels’ concerns, to act with “impartiality”.

Anti-democratic diversions and ties to the Kremlin, despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine: the Hungarian presidency is viewed with embarrassment by the European Parliament and many member states, with Europe appearing to be in far right strandif one considers the governing coalition of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, but also the serious possibility of a return to power for the coalition of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella.

In Budapest, the government is seeking to reassure the worried, saying it is ready to take on “the obligations and responsibilities” of its mission, which runs until December.

“We will act as an impartial mediator, with full loyalty to all member states,” Hungarian European Affairs Minister János Bóka said in mid-June, presenting his country’s program.

“At the same time,” he added, Hungary will take advantage of the spotlight to promote “its vision for Europe.”

On the rule of law, immigration and the war in Ukraine, Budapest intends to have its disagreements heard, which have seen it clash more than once with its EU partners and cost it billions in freezes euro of European resources.

After Hungary’s last presidency in 2011, Orbán commented with satisfaction that he had given “friendly nudges, slaps and cuffs” to the “enthusiastic executioners” of the European Parliament, a nest, as he characterizes it, of “liberals and leftists”.

This time the 61-year-old veteran prime minister appears even more combative, vilifying Brussels’ “technocratic elite” and wielding a series of vetoes in recent months to block military aid to Kiev.

He had promised to “occupy Brussels” after the European elections, which he described as “historic”, but despite the fact that June 9 saw the rise of the far right, he did not score an impressive victory.

Viktor Orbán has not even managed to influence the selection of people for key positions in the EU: despite his opposition, Ursula von der Leyen will remain in the position of head of the Commission.

And the Hungarian prime minister could not win the European Parliament in the end: he lost MPs and the MEPs of his party, Fidesz, are among those who have not joined any Eurogroup.

However, it continues the processes with other central European parties.

Orban announced yesterday, Sunday, from Vienna his intention to form the Eurogroup “Patriots for Europe” together with the Austrian nationalist Freedom Party (FPO) of Herbert Kickl and the populist ANO of the Eurosceptic former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis.

It needs the support of four other countries to succeed in forming a Eurogroup.

Hungary’s presidency will be based on seven priorities, including strengthening the EU’s “economic competitiveness”, better tackling “illegal immigration” and progressing the accession process for the Western Balkan countries.

Orbán will undoubtedly try to raise obstacles on some key issues and loosen restrictions on respect for the rule of law in order for his country to receive European funds, but “his room for maneuver is limited”, reckons Daniel Hegedus, a researcher at German Marshall Fund.

The rotating presidency, which allows one country to control the agenda of the meetings of the 27, gives it considerable power, but not absolute, according to many diplomats.

Even more so as Belgium and European institutions have established safeguards so that serious decisions can be made and “volatility is limited”, Hegedus explains.

New EU sanctions against Russia were approved and “historic” accession negotiations with Ukraine began: two decisions Hungary did not agree with.

Despite its limited ability to disrupt, Budapest will not hesitate to indulge in “communication challenges”, the same analyst predicts.

The motto of the Hungarian presidency says a lot in itself: “Make Europe Great Again” (Making Europe Great Again), borrowed from the former US president Donald Trump.