Brussels/Budapest, 18 June 2024 (dpa/MIA) - "Make Europe Great Again" is going to be the slogan of the forthcoming Hungarian presidency of the European Union.

The motto, an apparent reference to former US president Donald Trump's 2016 campaign slogan, was unveiled by Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka at a press conference in Budapest on Tuesday.

Under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary has pursued close ties with Trump and his supporters among US conservatives and has hosted political rallies for American conservatives.

Tuesday's event in Budapest was organized to present Hungary's EU policy aims for the second half of the year, with a focus on defence, economic development and migration.

The EU presidency is held on a rotating six-month basis with Hungary to take over the role from Belgium on July 1.

The presidency position is largely bureaucratic and involves setting meeting agendas and steering policy discussions towards a decision, sometimes finding a compromise among EU member states when there is no clear consensus.

Hungary has vowed to be a fair mediator, however Budapest has a stormy relationship with the EU institutions over rule of law and corruption issues.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled against Hungary in several instances for breaches of EU law, most recently with a fine of €200 million ($216 million) and a further €1 million per day for not implementing a previous asylum policy ruling.

Orbán is also at odds with his EU counterparts on the Ukraine war and has been accused of deliberately undermining the bloc's foreign policy efforts.

Photo: MIA archive