Preparatory work is already well underway for Hungary's EU presidency, according to Justice Minister Judit Varga.Continue reading
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and members of his government attended the preparatory forum of the ministers presiding over the Council formations of the Hungarian EU Presidency in the second half of 2024, Bertalan Havasi, the prime minister’s press chief, told MTI.
The Prime Minister announced that Hungary has begun preparations for its EU Presidency. He stressed that there is no shortage of experience and preparation and that his government is preparing for its second presidency, which is almost unprecedented in Europe.
We are ready to tackle the challenges facing Europe in a coordinated and effective manner,
Viktor Orbán emphasized.
He thanked his colleagues in the European Council Secretariat, Didier Seeuws, Director-General for General and Institutional Policy, and Agnieszka Bartol, Director-General for Communication and Information, for accepting the invitation to visit Budapest and sharing their experiences with Hungarian ministers at the two-day preparatory meeting.
Hungary has recently come under increasing political attack from the European Union.
One of the latest is the European Parliament criticizing Hungary’s suitability for next year’s EU presidency because of the rule of law debate.
The body recently adopted a resolution questioning how Hungary will be able to take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU credibly in 2024, “given its lack of compliance with EU law and values, and the principle of sincere cooperation.” The European Parliament asked the Council to find a proper solution and recalled that they could take “appropriate measures” if such a solution is not found.
However, the decision on the presidency is fortunately not in the hands of the parliament, and the European Council has shown no inclination to deprive Hungary of the opportunity. Currently, Sweden holds the rotating EU presidency until June 30, and the Swedish European Affairs Minister has announced that they do not intend to open a debate on the issue.
Featured photo via MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Fischer Zoltán
