Viktor Orbán's programmatic speech has no place on the agenda of the upcoming European Parliament, as the group's leaders “could not find a place for the prime minister presenting the Hungarian presidency” on the agenda for the middle of next week, Euronews.
While, according to tradition, the Prime Minister of the Member State holding the Presidency of the European Council always speaks in the European Parliament during this period and presents the programme planned for the six months of the Presidency. In such cases, MEPs can ask the Prime Minister questions. According to Euronews, Viktor Orbán, according to tradition, indicated to the EU legislature that next Tuesday or Wednesday (16 or 17 July) before the plenary session, he will present the Hungarian Presidency Programme, which – citing Donald Trump's statements – will include the campaign slogan “Make Europe Great Again”.
However, the faction leaders' body that sets the agenda has decided that there is no place for this agenda item on the parliament's agenda, because according to Euronews sources, the EU Parliament is “more preoccupied than usual with its current affairs”.
More important programs are on the way.
The new parliament must be formed by electing a president and fourteen vice-presidents, and the newspaper learned that Tuesday and Wednesday had to be set aside for this purpose, while Thursday was set aside for the vote on the reappointment of Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission, and Friday is not suitable for Viktor Orbán.
The agenda for the plenary session will be finalized next week at the meeting of parliamentary faction leaders, and will be finalized on Thursday, and a change is expected at that time, but at the moment there is no place for Viktor Orban's speech.
As Index reported, the Hungarian prime minister has made several unannounced visits in recent days as part of a series of trips he has described as a peace mission. Senior EU politicians have responded with protest statements, insisting that Viktor Orbán has no authority to negotiate on behalf of the EU in Kiev, Moscow or Beijing. However, Viktor Orbán has insisted that this is not the case. Negotiates in his capacity as Prime Minister of the Member State holding the Presidency of the European Council.
On Monday morning, Orban held talks with the Chinese president in Beijing, then traveled to Washington to attend the NATO General Assembly, which you can read more about here.
(Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the European Council meeting on June 27, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Pier Marco Taka/Getty Images)
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