At a joint press conference with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary and President of the European Council António Costa in Brussels, Belgium on 19 December, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen praised the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU. Hungary’s term as the rotating president of the Council started on 1 July, and is coming to an end at the end of this month.
President Von Der Leyen stated that ‘Your [Hungary’s] Presidency came during the transition between two political cycles. So it is always a challenge. Still, I count many achievements during this term’. She went on to elaborate, saying:
‘You advanced our support to Ukraine with the adoption of the 15th sanctions package and the agreement on the G7 loan framework. I also want to highlight the ambitious Budapest Declaration. We all signed off on one goal, which is a competitive Europe. The declaration outlines the homework we must do so that Europe remains a prime destination for business. So a lot of work ahead of us in the new term.’
Increasing the European Union’s economic competitiveness was one of the stated top priorities of the Hungarian EU presidency. The Budapest Declaration on the New European Competitiveness Deal was adopted by the Council of the European Union and signed by EU leaders on 8 November 2024 in the Hungarian capital.
‘I also want to highlight the ambitious Budapest Declaration. We all signed off on one goal, which is a competitive Europe‘
Von Der Leyen also lauded Hungary for its work to involve Romania and Bulgaria as full-fledged members of the Schengen Area. As per the new agreement, land border checks between the two Eastern European nations and other EU countries will be eliminated from 1 January 2025.
At a different press conference at the EU Western Balkan Summit the day before, President Von Der Leyen also highlighted the progress made on the EU accession of Western Balkan countries. She reiterated that praise again, saying ‘Your Presidency also expanded Europe externally. This week, you reached milestones on the accession paths of Montenegro, Albania and Serbia.’
‘And finally, you organised a very successful European Political Community Summit in early November. These are important achievements. So thank you for your efforts during the Presidency,’ the Commission President concluded.
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