The Hungarian Foreign Minister received his UAE counterpart in Hungary for the first time in eight years.Continue reading
On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks in Bucharest with Hunor Kelemen, President of the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ), followed by talks with the Romanian Prime Minister, and finally with the heads of government of EU Member States and the President of the European Council, Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s press chief, said.
On Wednesday morning before his trip to Bucharest, the Hungarian Prime Minister received former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta at the Carmelite monastery, with whom he discussed Hungary’s upcoming EU presidency plans. The Italian politician is currently working on a strategic report on the review and further development of the European Union’s single internal market, which he will present to EU decision-makers this month.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (R) and former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta at the Carmelite Monastery. Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán
The main topic of the meeting was therefore to restore the competitiveness of the European economy and to extend the internal market to new areas, such as defense policy. The EU’s enlargement strategy and the program of the Hungarian EU presidency in the second half of the year were also discussed, Bertalan Havasi informed the media. The meeting was also attended by János Bóka, Minister for EU Affairs, Márton Nagy, Minister for National Economy, and Balázs Orbán, Political Director of the Prime Minister.
Balázs Orbán reported on social media platform X that this meeting showed that “the EU is not just about conflicts, it can also be about cooperation.”
Although former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has strong federalist views and has criticized Hungary in the past, we see eye to eye on the need of a prosperous EU,”
he added.
From political opponent to #European partner
A meeting that shows the EU is not just about conflicts, it can also be about #cooperation.
Although former Italian PM @EnricoLetta has strong federalist views and has criticised #Hungary in the past, we see eye to eye on the… pic.twitter.com/m4gnKBFMCJ— Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) April 3, 2024
On Wednesday afternoon in Bucharest, the Hungarian Prime Minister held talks with Hunor Kelemen, President of the RMDSZ. After the meeting, Orbán wrote on his Facebook page, accompanied by a photo: “Good luck for the European and municipal elections!” According to the Maszol news portal, after the meeting, the president of the Hungarian minority party said that “we must be present in all institutions where decisions are made about us Hungarians.
The 2024 elections are not only about the next four years, but in the long run they will determine the conditions under which we will live in this country and in the European Union.
In Europe, we need the changes that European public opinion is demanding today.”
During the afternoon, Orbán also held a working meeting with the Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, who was joined by Romanian Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu and Hungarian EU Affairs Minister János Bóka. Following the meeting, the Romanian Prime Minister wrote on X that his meeting with Orbán had been fruitful. As the post reveals, in addition to the topic of Hungary’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU, the meeting also discussed the development of east-west infrastructure, which is in the common interest of both governments.
Fruitful discussion in #Bucharest with @PM_ViktorOrban about the priorities of the upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU . Our Governments share a common interest in developing East-West transport infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/bk0PeEJEQy
— Marcel Ciolacu (@CiolacuMarcel) April 3, 2024
Orbán joined the preparatory meeting of the EU’s Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 in Bucharest on Wednesday evening, together with the prime ministers of Croatia, Belgium, Slovenia, and Romania, along with Charles Michel, President of the European Council.
Strategic discussion on the future of the EU with @CharlesMichel @KlausIohannis @alexanderdecroo and @AndrejPlenkovic . The Hungarian vision is simple: Make Europe Great Again! #MakeEuropeGreatAgain #MEGA pic.twitter.com/SwkHveD1YU
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) April 3, 2024
The Strategic Agenda is a document to be adopted at the end of the EU’s institutional cycle, outlining the strategic challenges for the next cycle and providing guidance to the EU institutions. The Agenda is adopted by the Heads of State and Government and is discussed in small groups in several European cities before being adopted.
Via MTI, Maszol; Featured image: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán