Hungarian government says it considers Antonio Costa ‘capable of leading European Council’

The Hungarian government said Thursday that it believes former Prime Minister António Costa is “capable of effectively managing the European Council” from December, hence its vote in favour of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, knowing that the Portuguese is responsible.

“We believe that Costa will be able to effectively manage the Council. Prime Minister [húngaro, Viktor Órban] “knows him,” said Hungarian State Secretary for International Relations and the government responsible for Hungary’s EU Presidency, Zoltán Kovács.

Speaking to around 50 Brussels-based European journalists who are in Budapest this Thursday and Friday as part of the visit of the Hungarian presidency of the European Union (EU), including Lusa, Zoltán Kovács highlighted António Costa’s “knowledge of European politics” and his “personal capabilities”.

The Hungarian official recalled that Viktor Orbán, for his part, “has been in politics for 30 years” and that “he is a real veteran,” especially in the European Council, the institution that brings together the heads of government and state of the EU. Today, he is the longest-serving European leader (14 years in total) and is currently holding his second rotating EU presidency. In this context, he worked with the former Portuguese Prime Minister, who represented Portugal in this institution for eight years.

Also at a press meeting on Thursday, Hungarian Minister for European Affairs János Bóka described António Costa as a “reliable partner” due to his experience of cooperation, stressing that the Portuguese official has “a long track record, including at a high level”, as well as “high-precision skills”.

“We are looking forward to working with him,” Boka said, referring to the fact that the first European summit under Costa’s leadership took place during Hungary’s EU presidency.

Last Thursday, former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa was elected President of the European Council by EU heads of state and government for a two-and-a-half-year term.

António Costa will become the first Portuguese and the first Socialist to lead the European Council, a position he will take up on 1 December 2024.

Hungary will hold the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the second half of the year, from July to December.

At the European Council last Thursday, EU leaders also nominated Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as head of the European Commission and appointed Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Both options are set to be voted on in the European Parliament.

Asked about Hungary’s vote against the reappointment of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, international envoy Zoltán Kovács recalled the Hungarian government’s view that “it failed” because “it was not a successful Commission, successful in the last five years.”

Brussels and Budapest have been embroiled in tensions over the suspension of European funds due to Hungary’s disregard for the rule of law on issues such as LGBTQI rights and judicial independence.

In recent days, the leaders of the three largest populist and nationalist parties in Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic, led by Hungary’s ultra-conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have announced the creation of a new radical right group in the European Parliament.

Asked about Cega’s possible membership in the European parliamentary group, spokesman Zoltán Kovács responded, without specifying, that the Hungarian authorities “are not just hoping” because “everything will happen.”

Minister Janos Boka commented that “the restructuring of the right [no Parlamento Europeu] cannot be achieved without the participation of the Fidesz party, Orban’s party.