Hungary's nationalist government launches its presidency of the European Union on Monday with a Trump-like call to "Make Europe Great Again" after EU lawmakers questioned whether it should be allowed to take on the role.

Their concerns are based on Prime Minister Viktor Orban's many clashes with Brussels over democratic norms.

Hungarian diplomats say the country will be an honest broker, while analysts say Budapest's actions at the forefront of EU policy-making are likely to be restricted given that Brussels is in a transition phase following elections in June.