Judit Varga: The crisis could drive the debate over Europe’s future towards the real problems

“We recommend strengthening the EU treaties to make the border between common spheres of influence and national sovereignty even clearer,” said Judit Varga on Friday at the 31st Tusványos Bálványos Free Summer University and Youth Camp during her talk titled, “Future visions of the European Union”. According to Hunor Kelemen, President of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (RMDSZ), the EU’s renewal cannot be limited to power technicalities.

“Treaty amendments are a topic in the EU that the European Council and the European Commission treat with a lot of caution. We believe that we must adjust the current contractual framework. After all, the Lisbon framework allowed the institutional system to stealthily expand their powers at the expense of national sovereignty,” said Judit Varga on Friday at the 31st Tusványos Bálványos Free Summer University and Youth Camp during her podium discussion titled, “Future visions of the European Union”.

Border between common and national spheres

Hungary’s Justice Minister said that the Hungarian government recommends “strengthening the EU treaties to make the border between common and national spheres of influence even clearer.” The Minister believes thatOur concept of family, our opinions on immigration, our beliefs on our own cultural roots should all be and remain a matter of national sovereignty.Meanwhile, for example, a common policy matter would be managing a joint European army. The liberal masses want to make changes in a different direction. They want to erase the possibility for countries to use the power of veto when their basic national interests are violated.

“This is where I would like to point out the mistaken terminology of the right to veto that is constantly being mentioned. In fact, when the veto is placed in this negative context, it appears to be only a tool for continuous interference. The treaties we joined though strived to establish consensus-based decision-making in the European Union.”“According to this, the proposals that make it to the table should have already been agreed upon by the proposer with everyone, taking all interests into account”– explained Judit Varga. The Justice Minister stated that Hungary’s advantage is its strong political legitimacy. Only Poland can claim something similar. The Minister believes that it is no mistake that the EU has such problems with these two countries.

However, based on conversations in corridors, it is clear that many countries are happy that we represent sanity with our political legitimacy, that we can very loudly represent not only our own, but the entire community’s interests as well. Oftentimes in contradiction to their own proposals. After all, when they recommended the oil embargo, they did not calculate how it would impact the community,

– she detailed. According to Judit Varga, the recessionary atmosphere emerging from war in Ukraine and the energy crisis enables the European Union to focus on debating real problems in discussion on its future.

Closer cooperation or destruction

According to Hunor Kelemen, the EU’s political elite pushes power technicalities to the forefront when proposing eliminating consensus-based decision-making. The President of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (RMDSZ) believes that the renewal of the EU should not be limited to technical issues of power.

If there is to be change, it must be substantive,

– he said. He also does not consider it acceptable to enable voting for party lists over nations in the EP elections and that “voters in Dublin give their opinion on candidates in Kézdivásárhely.” Hunor Kelemen added that if the EU treaties are amended, the new treaties must also account for the perspectives of indigenous national minorities. The politician believes the war in Ukraine will either force the EU to cooperate more closely, or entirely fall apart.

Photo: Varga Judit (Photo: Veres Nándor)