It wasn't exactly a surprise when Hungary revealed an official slogan with Trumpian overtones this week for its six-month stint holding the EU presidency, but "Make Europe Great Again" still raised a few eyebrows in Brussels.

Hungary's ultranationalist, populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, a close ally of former US President Donald Trump, is the most outspoken euroskeptic leader in the European Union.

In the past decade, his government has clashed with EU officials and other member states over domestic democratic backsliding, migration and, most recently, the bloc's military support for Ukraine.

Budapest has frequently deployed its veto in key votes, stalling policies when all others were ready to proceed. It has had billions of euros of EU funds initially withheld due to democracy and rule of law violations, though some of this has since been released following reforms. And only last week Hungary was fined €200 million ($216 million) for flouting EU asylum law.