Not everyone is a fan of Hungary’s choice of slogan for its upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Budapest unveiled “Make Europe Great Again” as the tagline for its six-month turn at the helm of the Council, in a callback to Donald Trump’s campaign slogan when he first ran for United States president in 2016.
Věra Jourová, vice president of the European Commission for values and transparency, on Tuesday gave a short but scathing assessment of Hungary’s Trump-inspired line.
“Well, it’s not very original, is it?” she said, laughing.
Jourová made the comments at a doorstep at the General Affairs Council, where Budapest’s flouting of the bloc’s values was a topic of discussion. Jourová said the Commission had “observations” about freedom of the press and rule of law in Hungary.
Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has been at loggerheads with Brussels for years on issues such as migration and support for Ukraine. Earlier this month, the European Court of Justice fined Budapest €200 million for breaking the EU’s asylum laws.
Jourová added that the Council presidency should be a chance for the Hungarian government “to show that they can serve and do the task as an honest broker, which is the role of the presidency.”
“I am just expecting something will happen which will show professionalism, and I hope neutral and professional performance,” she said.
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