Hungarian leader Viktor Orban has called for "change" in Europe in an address to the bloc's parliament, met with protests against the retreat of democracy in his homeland.
"The European Union must change, and I would like to convince you of that today," the prime minister said in Strasbourg to present the "priorities" of Hungary's deviating EU presidency.
Orban called this "the most serious period" in the EU's history, with the war in Ukraine on its doorstep, the escalating conflict in the Middle East and the "migration crisis", which he said could lead to the "disintegration" of the Schengen system.
"Our Union needs to change, and the presidency wants to be a catalyst for that change," he said, quoted by AFP.
As Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally within the European Union, Orban's nationalist government is at odds with its partners on a range of issues, from suspending aid to Kiev to passing a series of laws the bloc considers a retreat from democracy.
Orban's debate in Parliament, which was attended by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was postponed twice and is now taking place in the middle of Budapest's term.
Key EU lawmakers have vowed to hold Orban to account, with Hungarian opposition leader and MEP Peter Magyar among the speakers lining up to challenge him.
Various political groups staged photo protests outside the semicircle.
"No money for the corrupt", read one of the placards put up by left-wing MPs - a reference to the billions of euros in EU funds for Hungary that are currently frozen due to rule of law concerns.
MPs listened respectfully to his address - occasionally applauding supporters - but after he finished speaking, a raucous rendition of the anti-fascist anthem "Bella Ciao" rang out, prompting a call to order from parliament speaker Roberta Mezzola: "This is not Eurovision."
When Hungary took over the six-month rotating EU presidency in July, Orban went off script: he undertook an uncoordinated "peace mission" to Ukraine in Kiev, Moscow and Beijing.
In response, von der Leyen ordered senior officials to skip a series of meetings organised by the Hungarian presidency - an unprecedented de facto boycott.
Since returning to lead his country in 2010, Orban has sought to curb civil rights and tighten his grip on power, repeatedly clashing with Brussels overrule of law issues.
But Orban has argued that the elections of far-right parties from Italy to the Netherlands and Austria - and the growing influence of a new Hungarian-led group in the EU parliament, Patriots for Europe - are proof that the political climate in Europe is slowly but surely changing in his favor. | BGNES
