Experts in European integration discussed issues related to the Maastricht Treaty at an international conference.Continue reading
Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar invited Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, and Croatian President Zoran Milanović to Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia on Monday to mark the 20th anniversary of the country’s EU membership. At the meeting, they all spoke in favor of the enlargement of the European Union and its open internal borders, pointing out the challenges ahead.
At the press conference after the meeting, Tamás Sulyok said that during the meeting he presented the Hungarian position, which is contrary to the increasingly federalist approach in European politics, according to which “ever closer and more forced integration leads to a weakening Europe.” He stressed that “Hungary will not give up its sovereignty and believes in the European alliance of independent nation-states currently guaranteed by the founding treaties.”
Central Europe, and Hungary in it, is one of the driving forces of the EU, and as a developing and politically stable region, it has and will have its own visions, strategies, and proposals for solutions, the Hungarian President noted. He stressed that the European Community is based on the idea of “united in diversity,” and Hungary entered the European Union “with its head bowed” to this idea.
We believe that our different opinions on Europe do not divide us, but unite us, we believe that Europe’s strength is based on dialogue, and we Hungarians are open to all discourse,”
the President underlined.
“United in Diversity” – this is the idea on which the European Community is built, and it was with this idea that #Hungary bowed its head before entering the #EU, I said at the press conference we held in Brdo with the Slovenian, Croatian, Austrian, and Italian Presidents pic.twitter.com/W2WllC0YZh
— Dr. Tamás Sulyok (@DrTamasSulyok) April 22, 2024
On the forthcoming EU Council Presidency, he said that Hungary was committed to supporting the enlargement of the EU and would like to open as many accession negotiations as possible in the next six months.
To strengthen this, the EU-Western Balkans and European Community Summits will be held in early November,”
he announced.
Before the 20th anniversary of #EU accession
In #Slovenia, at an informal meeting of Heads of State of neighbouring countries, I made it clear that the Member States are the masters of the European Union’s founding treaty, and therefore sovereignty cannot be transferred. pic.twitter.com/7ykwwXEnWr
— Dr. Tamás Sulyok (@DrTamasSulyok) April 22, 2024
Asked about criticisms of Hungary from within the European Union, the Head of State said that there were significant differences of opinion among some Member States on the relationship between the constitutional order of Member States and the EU legal order.
The values, principles, and goals enshrined in the EU treaties are not independent of Member States, but are rooted in their constitutional order, and these fundamental principles must remain the basis for integration,”
he emphasized.
However, he added: “our common values have recently been perceived in a biased way.” But for the future of integration, he said, it was necessary to stop stirring up political conflict on the basis of values and to return to maximum respect for the roles and competences enshrined in the treaty.
Via MTI, Featured image: X/Dr. Tamás Sulyok