Orban-Led Hungary To Assume EU Presidency Amid Concerns Of Far-Right Rise.

Hungary, led by right-wing nationalist and Russia-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Orban, takes over the EU's rotating presidency on July 1, raising concerns in much of the West amid signs of the rising strength of the far right throughout the continent.

"It's unbelievable. It's like the defendant in a trial has suddenly taken over the prosecution," Hungarian journalist and Orban biographer Paul Lendvai told the AFP news agency, referring to Orban's long-standing opposition to EU policies.

Orban, who has governed Hungary with a parliamentary supermajority since 2010, has angered many EU leaders with perceived attacks on democracy and the bloc's founding principles and inclusivity, his opposition to sanctions on Russia and military aid for Ukraine, and his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Hungarian prime minister has talked openly about his plans to turn the country from a democracy into an "illiberal state," and the government has taken control of much of Hungary's print and broadcast media.

Despite Orban’s stated policies, one observer said the Hungarian leader is not likely to have a major impact over EU decision-making during the six-month presidency.

Dorka Takacsy , a research fellow at the Center for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Democracy, told the Associated Press that the timing of the presidency will give Orban little opportunity to disrupt EU policies aside from the occasional controversial outburst. The term begins ahead of the long summer break and during the formation a new European Parliament and Commission.

"These six months are altogether not that long, which means that...Hungary cannot do potentially much harm, even according to the critics," she told AP.

Alongside allies from Austria and the Czech Republic, Orban on June 30 announced the imminent launch of a political alliance that he vowed would "quickly" dominate the European political right.

Speaking at a press conference in Vienna flanked by "Patriots For Europe" signs, the national populist and strident Brussels critic added that "This will happen within days, and after that the sky is the limit."

Elections in early June for the European Parliament showed big gains for Europe’s far right, although Orban’s own Fidesz party suffered a setback amid a challenge from party defector Peter Magyar's new movement at home.

Even with the far-right gains across Europe, the main takeaway from the European Parliament elections was that the three biggest political groups in the chamber are unchanged.

After EU citizens went to vote across the 27 EU member states, the center-right European People's Party (EPP) came in first -- as it has done in every European parliamentary election since 1999 -- with a projected 185 lawmakers in the 720-seat chamber.

With reporting by AP and AFP