Fidesz for a stronger EU

Fidesz agrees with those parties which consider the European Union's political aspect also an important one, said Mr Viktor Orbán in Brussels on 15 October following his meeting with Mr Wilfried Martens, president of the European People's Party on the occasion of the mid-term EU-summit.

Dátum: 2003-10-17 14:27:00, eredeti URL: http://archiv.fidesz.hu/index.php?Cikk=16063
KCMDB-be feltöltve: 2024-05-04 18:57:29.532118, Feltöltő: fidesz_hu_scraper_v2

There is a debate even within Europe's right-wing parties whether the European Union should remain to be a sort of free trade association, or also an example of a deepened political cooperation, Mr Orbán said. He added: The Hungarian interest is to participate in an ever unifying Europe, because this is what provides the opportunity of fastest development for Hungarians, while at the same time preserving our independence. Fidesz therefore agrees with those parties which consider the European Union's political aspect also an important one, he said. The President of Fidesz referred to the codification of the rights of ethnic and national minorities and the mentioning of the community's Christian roots as two positive examples.

Mr Orbán pointed out that there is a consensus on "three and a half" issues concerning the draft of the future Euopean Constitution among all the parliamentary political forces in Hungary: minority rights must be enshrined in the document, all member states must be able to send full-fledged representatives to the European Commission, and the rotational presidency of the EU must be preserved, he said. The "half" issue is that of Christianity, mentioning of which in the Constitution is supported only half-heartedly by the socialist government.

The President of Fidesz called attention to the large-scale infrastructural development program to be debated by the EU-summit. It seems that the road chosen by the EU is that of economic stimulation and not austerity, whereas the Hungarian budget for next year is apparently heading into the latter direction, he said. In the light of this recent tendency, the Hungarian budgetary plans should be fundamentally revised, added Mr Orbán.