The preparation for the Hungarian EU Presidency in the second half of 2024 is progressing well, Justice Minister Judit Varga told the session of the European Affairs Committee of the National Assembly on Monday.
Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in one year. Listing the priorities of the Hungarian presidency, the minister spoke about improving competitiveness, tackling demographic challenges, promoting the EU enlargement process, combating illegal migration, strengthening defense policy at the EU level, cohesion policy, and the next seven-year EU budget.
Judit Varga said that it was strategic to improve the competitiveness of the EU and its member states, to take a comprehensive approach to the problem, and to integrate it into individual policies.
The EU’s demographic crisis is having a serious impact on its competitiveness,
which is why it is appropriate to take up family policy at the EU level while respecting the competencies of the member states, she pointed out.
Regarding the promotion of EU enlargement to the western Balkans, the minister stressed that the accession of Serbia is key to speeding up the accession process of the countries in the region. In the fight against illegal migration, Varga called for an overview of the links between asylum and security aspects of migration.
András Fekete-Győr, MP of the liberal opposition Momentum party, asked the minister, among other things, how the government is trying to overcome the crisis of confidence with the European Union in order to finally receive the EU funds due to the country. In her reply, Varga said that opposition MEPs are doing “unbelievable mine-work” in the European Parliament against their own nation when they should be working in the interests of it. The minister asked opposition politicians to “stop!”
Varga also said that some 800-900 professionals will work for the success of the Hungarian EU presidency, prepared to do their jobs with great expertise and a Hungarian heart.
János Bóka, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, said there was a crisis of confidence between the EU institutions and the Hungarian government, mainly because the Hungarian government says what it means, but the EU institutions are hypocritical.
Featured photo via Facebook/Varga Judit