Government: Hungary will do everything for EU enlargement

dHungary is “doing everything in its power” during its rotating presidency of the European Union to speed up the bloc’s enlargement and “will give every assistance to Moldova so that it can join the community as soon as possible,” Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in Chisinau on Friday.

At a press conference held jointly with his Moldovan counterpart Mihai Popsoi, Szijjártó referred to the current security challenges and “extreme economic hardships”, and said “an emerging new world order will not facilitate the strenghtening of the EU”.

Enlarging the community could “lend new momentum and energy … new ambitions” to the community. Among Hungary’s efforts to help Moldova in its endeavours to join the EU, the minister mentioned a training opportunity at the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy for 50 Moldovan officials who could then “have a key role in the accession talks”.

He added that the first group of 32 Moldovans were expected to arrive next week, to attend courses in the areas of municipal government, tax policy, and agriculture regime.

Szijjártó also said that candidates for EU membership should be evaluated on an individual basis, adding that “we will never approve of a candidate’s progress being impeded by another country … if we did so, weaker or slower candidates could restrain their better-performing peers.”

“We will provide every assistance that the European Commission screening now underway be completed as soon as possible and that the actual accession talks should start,” Szijjártó said.

The minister slammed “Brussels hypocrisy” and said that “most EU members will support enlargement in public, but many will argue against it behind closed doors.”

“A pro-enlargement presidency’s top priority is to make things clear and encourage everybody to reflect honestly on the subject, and make those who are supportive in public also provide substantive support,” he said.

Touching upon the strategic partnership between Hungary and Moldova, signed in 2020, Szijjártó said bilateral trade hit new records in 2023, having increased by two and a half times over the past 10 years.

Szijjártó calls for sincere communication, end to ‘deception’, on EU enlargement

Northern and western European, and Baltic states, should “finally put an end to deception” and talk sincerely about the issue of European Union enlargement, Szijjártó said.

The ministry cited Szijjártó telling a joint press conference with North Macedonian counterpart Timcho Mucunski that both countries attached great significance to bilateral cooperation, especially in the current period characterised by severe challenges facing the continent, when “it appears the EU has not found the correct responses to difficulties”.

“Had we found them, Europe would not be ailing,” he said.

“We believe the current situation is proof that it is high time for the European Union to return to politics based on common sense and to accept that Europe cannot be stable if there is no stability in its direct neighbourhood, therefore dialogue must be enhanced with the EU’s neighbours,” he added.

“And they must finally understand in Brussels and in the western and eastern Europe, and Baltic capitals that the European Union indeed needs the Western Balkans, and it is not an exaggeration to say that the EU now needs the Western Balkans more than the other way round,” he said.

The EU needs new energy which can come from the Western Balkans, because the ambitions and rapid development of states in the region could generate the impetus that the bloc currently lacks, he added. Szijjártó said there was “huge hypocrisy” in the EU when it came to enlargement, with everybody making supportive public statements but behind closed doors, the majority of people forming a disapproving position.

Had it not been the case, North Macedonia would not be in the underserved situation of being a candidate country for nineteen years, and accession talks still not starting, he said. Szijjártó said the government would make every effort for an intergovernmental conference to be organised with North Macedonia before the end of the Hungarian EU presidency which would enable opening the first chapters of accession talks.

“Additionally, we are calling on the European Commission to start payments due for the development of North Macedonia under the arrangements of the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans,” he said. He added that the government in Skopje had fulfilled all the necessary conditions and the transfer of EU resources “are not always without political prejudice, and not always done in line with objective conditions”.

He expressed thanks to Western Balkan leaders for a joint letter they sent to support Oliver Varhelyi, asking for the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement to be allowed to continue his work. He said bilateral trade between North Macedonia and Hungary grew five-fold in recent years, adding that “Hungary’s government will continue to support domestic companies to carry out investments in North Macedonia in strategic areas”.