Hungary House Speaker: EU Strength Contingent on Cooperation of Strong Member States

A European Parliament office for Western Balkans integration could open in Montenegro.

Hungarian National Assembly Speaker Laszlo Kover (Photo: MTI/Janos Vajda)

"A strong European Union can only be built through the cooperation of strong member states that preserve their own national cultures, traditions and values," Laszlo Kover, speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly, stressed in Podgorica on Monday. The house speaker also pointed out that Hungary is one of the most committed supporters of the accession of South-Eastern European countries to the EU.

We are convinced that Europe's stability, security and prospects for economic development also depend to a large extent on the completion of the enlargement process,

he said, stressing Hungary's position that candidate countries should not be lumped together and treated as a package, but that each country should progress ahead on the basis of its own performance and merits, and that Montenegro is undoubtedly leading the way in this respect. According to the politician, for various reasons, but mainly due to the lack of political will in Brussels, Montenegro has already been waiting for accession for longer than is reasonable.

However, in the last few years a positive change regarding enlargement has taken place in Brussels, and Hungary is proud of the important role Hungarian Enlargement Commissioner Olivier Varhelyi had in this,

Speaker Laszlo Kover noted, stressing that Budapest does not view Montenegro's accession to the European Union as an end in itself, but as the best means of promoting its own national interests,

not against the other's own national interest, but on the contrary, trying to unite them into a common force through compromise,

the official said. "We are hopeful that the accession of the countries of South-Eastern Europe will give a new impetus to Central Europe, and that by reciprocally impacting this region, we will be the economic engine of Europe in the next decade," he explained. He also said that since the societies of these countries are fundamentally attached to their traditional values, "we can also work together on how to return the European Union to true European values, to traditional, Christian-based values".

Focus on the Hungarian EU Presidency

Andrija Mandic, the speaker of the Montenegrin National Assembly, recalled that Hungary's EU Presidency could be significant for Montenegro, which has been awaiting EU membership. He asked the head of the Hungarian Parliament for

Hungary to support Montenegro in closing four accession chapters this year. He pointed out that among the Western Balkan countries, Montenegro is the closest to becoming a full member of the EU, and that closing all the chapters would give a significant boost not only to the Adriatic country but also to the other states in the region.

Montenegro's house speaker noted that there was also talk of opening a European Parliament office for the Western Balkans in Montenegro, which would also send a positive message to the country. At the joint press conference, Laszlo Kover said that these ideas were fully acceptable and stressed that Hungary would do its utmost to promote them. In Podgorica, Hungary's house speaker also held talks with Aleksa Becic, deputy prime minister for security, defense, battling organised crime and home affairs, and was received by Montenegro's President Jakov Milatovic.

Cover photo: Hungarian National Assembly Speaker Laszlo Kover   (Photo: MTI/Janos Vajda)