EU Affairs Minister: Strong Hungarian Representation in EP Important

It is important for Hungarians to have strong representation in the European Parliament to be elected in June, and for Hungarian MEPs from various countries to continue to cooperate on strategic issues, the minister for European Union affairs said in Bucharest on Wednesday, after meeting the top candidates on the EP electoral list of the ethnic Hungarian party, the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (RMDSZ).

Janos Boka, minister for European Union affairs (Photo: MTI/Tamas Kovacs)

After meeting Gyula Winkler, Lorant Vincze and Dora Szilagyi, who head RMDSZ’s list for the EP elections, Janos Boka, Hungary's minister for EU affairs, said the past five years had been fundamentally a period of failures for the EU, which has faced a series of historic challenges and failed to respond adequately. The bloc has stumbled on tackling crises such as loss of competitiveness, the ongoing migration crisis, the weaknesses of its defense capabilities and agricultural policy, he said. While holding the EU Presidency, Hungary will seek to find common solutions to these common challenges, he added.

Change is needed in the European Union, but it will not happen by itself. We must contribute to this change by voting in the European Parliament elections for the political forces that represent the voice of common sense in the European Union,

the minister said. It is also of utmost importance for Hungarians to continue to have a strong representation in the European Parliament, he added, and therefore he encouraged Hungarians in Transylvania to ensure that in the June 9 elections the RMDSZ gets the strongest possible representation in the European Parliament, as well as in the local governments. He highlighted that the cooperation between Hungarian MEPs in the European Parliament has been successful so far, and in the next institutional term there will be - in addition to European policies -  crucial issues pertaining to Hungary's national policy and national strategy, where this cooperation will be of paramount importance.

Such issues include the representation of indigenous national minorities and linguistic communities in the European Union.  What we see is that despite very strong, serious initiatives in the last institutional cycle, including the Minority SafePack under the European Citizens' Initiative, no breakthrough was achieved in this period. I hope that in the next institutional cycle, the voice of common sense will prevail in the European Union, and that this value, being a European value, will also be reflected in the functioning of the European institutions,

Janos Boka pointed out.

Environmental protection in focus

During the discussion with the top candidates of the RMDSZ, the issue of EU regulations on nature conservation and wildlife management related to big game came up, which in the minister's view, fail to take into account changing circumstances. 

It is a key challenge for the European Union to adapt these rules to reality, taking into account the aspects of both the residential community and economic life. The Commission has initiatives in this field, but as we see it, these initiatives do not go far enough and fail to address the problems experienced in Transylvania, especially with regards to bears. Hungary holding the EU presidency will take forward relevant initiatives and will work to expand them,

the minister explained.

Institutional transformation

After the meeting, Lorant Vincze, MEP of RMDSZ, who is running for another EP mandate, said that the EP elections and the institutional transformation that will follow are extremely important for the European Union, and it is a special opportunity that Hungary will be holding the rotating presidency then. During the consultation in Bucharest, Janos Boka pledged that the Hungary's EU presidency will seek to move forward the development of a legislative framework for the protection of indigenous languages and cultures, Vincze said, adding that at the meeting, they also discussed policy priorities such as agricultural subsidies, the bear issue and Romania's full accession to Schengen.

For us, Hungary, the Hungarian government and the Fidesz are strategic allies. Naturally, it is in our shared interest to have as many MEPs from the national side as possible in Brussels, and RMDSZ would like to contribute to this with two or three seats. This is important for our nation as a whole,

the MEP of RMDSZ underlined.

Cover photo: Janos Boka, minister for European Union affairs (Photo: MTI/Tamas Kovacs)