Thursday's European Political Community (EPC) summit and the informal EU summit on Friday will both be held at the Puskas Arena. A total of 45 to 47 heads of state and government will arrive in Budapest for the EPC’s meeting on November 7, with more than fifty delegations expected, including international organizations. On November 8, the informal EU summit will gather representatives from all 27 member states and all EU institutions, totaling over 30 delegations.
This Thursday and Friday, Hungary will host the biggest political-diplomatic event in its history.
The U.S. presidential election is pivotal for both gatherings. With Trump’s victory, Europe has to reinvent itself, including the European Political Community, the British, the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership, and the European Union itself,
– Zoltan Kiszelly, director of political analysis at the Szazadveg Foundation, told our newspaper.
The two major political gatherings aren't just expected to feature ceremonial events but genuine debates. Hungary, led by PM Viktor Orban, represents an alternative that has secured a majority in the United States, the expert emphasized.
According to Mr. Kiszelly, it's not just the claims about the Orban government's isolation that have proven unfounded, but - as the saying goes - Viktor Orban has been vindicated.
– Donald Trump and most Americans share our views on the big issues: the war, the core values, and many other topics, including the economy and family values,” he noted. “So Europe must adjust accordingly.”
Previous decisions by the EU and NATO indicated a desire to shift the funding of the war away from the U.S., but now they face the outcome they feared: a clear majority stands behind Trump and the policies he represents. Therefore, the European elite must consider change if they want to avoid the fate of Kamala Harris,
– the expert pointed out.
– So, Viktor Orban can rightly claim - as figures by Szazadveg seem to indicate - that, just as the Americans and the Hungarians, the Europeans want no migration or war, either. American voters wanted a "correction" on several issues, which is why they voted for Trump, and Europe must also consider whether to continue its ideology-driven policies, or face having to undergo some corrections herself.
– With the current Brussels leadership and rainbow coalitions, change is not possible. The tragedy for Europe is that Hungary is on the right path - which has been validated - while Brussels is moving in the opposite direction on the transatlantic highway,” Mr. Kiszelly concluded.
