On July 1, 2024, Hungary took over the six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union. The opening ceremony, as is the tradition, was held at the Bozar in Brussels on Monday evening.
The cultural event featured a full house reception, where Permanent Representative of Hungary to the EU Balint Odor welcomed the attendees. Following his address, Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok delivered a keynote speech.
In his address, Balint Odor highlighted that the presidency offers a unique opportunity to strengthen the European Union.
It is an honor for Hungary to play this role at a politically important and geopolitically challenging time,
Balint Odor emphasized.
In his speech delivered at the opening event, President Tamas Sulyok said that the European Union is a remarkable and unique economic and political union: less than a state, but more than a simple alliance.
In his address, the President of the Republic of Hungary
likened European unity to the delicate handmade lace of Brussels, noting its fragility. If we handle it with force, sooner or later it will be torn. But, if one single thread is torn, it will be ruined making the whole piece useless. It is our joint responsibility to take care of it together.
The evening's cultural highlight was a performance titled "Our European Heritage" by artists from the MUPA Budapest performing arts center. The production featured works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Bela Bartok, illustrating how these composers integrated the music and dance traditions of European peoples into their art. Both composers made a significant contribution to preserving the cultures of European peoples: while Bach melded the melodies of peoples' dances into his orchestral suites from England through France to Italy, Bartok collected folk-based music from the Central and Eastern European region and incorporated it into his art. The performance "Our European Heritage" builds a bridge between these pillars, pointing to our roots in the culture of European peoples and nations and to the cultural diversity born and reborn from their relationship, in which Europe's strength lies.
The opening performance on July 1 marked the launch of events to be held during Hungary's EU presidency in the second half of 2024.
Cover photo: Balint Odor, head of the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the European Union (Photo: MTI/Noemi Bruzak)
