‘The Hungarian people have made Europe stronger; the effervescent culture and economic dynamism of Hungary permeate the entire European Union,’ declared the President of the European Commission on Wednesday, marking the 20th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to the EU.
Ursula von der Leyen, in a video message posted on social media, stated: ‘Twenty years ago, our family finally united in a common home.’ She also reminded that Hungary has always been situated in the heart of Europe.
She recalled that generations of Hungarians fought behind the Iron Curtain to regain their freedom. ‘Twenty years ago, you chose to reclaim your rightful place in the centre of our continent. You chose Europe,’ she articulated. According to the Commission president, since then, the European Union has strengthened, and Hungary has flourished in many ways: new schools, hospitals, highways have been built, and domestically developed renewable energy sources have been established. She noted that the majority of these developments were funded by the European Union.
Von der Leyen highlighted that two Hungarian scientists received two Nobel Prizes in the past year. The discoveries of Katalin Karikó have aided in the development of mRNA vaccines that combat the coronavirus and have saved numerous lives. Meanwhile, Ferenc Krausz has brought us closer to understanding ‘how the material surrounding us comes into being. Both awards commend Hungarian ingenuity, she stressed. ‘We are stronger together, happy anniversary and long live Europe!’, she concluded.
Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, emphasized in his statement that twenty years ago the largest wave of accession in the history of the European Union, the ‘reunification of the continent’ took place.
Twenty years ago, ‘the European family’ welcomed ten new member states, which, he said, was a bold step. He pointed out that the work related to the reunification of the continent is not yet complete. In recent years, millions of Europeans have shown willingness and expressed their hope to join the Union, he noted. He stressed that the Western Balkan countries, Türkiye, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia have a historic opportunity to further bind their futures to the European Union. The enlargement of the EU is a transformative policy that strengthens security, upholds the rule of law, and democracy, while enhancing the living standards of Europeans, he highlighted. However, he also stated that future member states must strengthen their democratic institutions and respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. ‘We are not only striving to create a larger but a stronger union, capable of maintaining and extending our common values across the world,’ the head of EU diplomacy added in his statement.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, wrote in his message that 2004 marked the reunification of a divided continent. The next wave of enlargement will again be a historic date, arguing that enlargement is the cornerstone of European strategic sovereignty. Both candidate countries and EU institutions still have a lot of work to do, but by 2030, both sides should be ready for enlargement, the President of the European Council stated.
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, wrote in her message that twenty years ago Europe reunited. This made the dream of generations come true, as Europe stands for solidarity, opportunity, and prosperity, the President of the EU Parliament nailed down.
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