The Hungarian EU Presidency A Newcomer's Experience in a Novel Institutional Framework

Abstract

In the first half of 2011 Hungary held the rotating Presidency on top of the Council for the first time since joining the EU. The exercise of the presidential functions was influenced by the fact that the Treaty of Lisbon significantly reshaped the position of the rotating Presidency in the architecture of the European Union. The Spanish-Belgian-Hungarian Trio Presidency has been already carried out within the revised institutional framework which required a new style to accomplish the proper function of the Presidency. That means an entirely different approach which enables the successful cooperation of the country holding the presidency with the new leaders on the floor, namely with the permanent President of the European Council and with the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR). These institutional changes effectuated by the Treaty of Lisbon as well as the Hungarian Presidency itself make sense of an analysis with respect to the new institutional model; moreover to the challenges and achievements of the Hungarian Presidency. For that reason the following article describes the institutional background along with the most important functions of the presidency, which is followed by an overview of the Hungarian Presidency’s work and the main conclusions.