Preparations for EU presidency going “full steam ahead’

The government is going “full steam ahead” in its preparations for Hungary’s European Union presidency in the second half of next year, János Bóka, the minister for European Union affairs, said on Friday.

The government programme for the presidency will focus on developing Europe’s economy and strengthening competitiveness, Bóka told a press conference on the sidelines of an international meeting held in Parliament, dubbed “Next Generation is Female”. Demographic challenges, the subject of the meeting, will also be on the agenda, he added.

“The conference is another step forward in the preparation of the programme,” he said. The female leaders attending the meeting come from countries facing issues that Hungary is also familiar with, he added.

Central Europe is seeking its own solutions to demographic challenges, and the relevant policies are the competency of member states, he said.