On May 1, 2024, the European Union will celebrate twenty years of eastern enlargement. With Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia, it was the largest expansion of the bloc. But people in Hungary are certainly not in a party mood these days.
In the current EU election campaign, right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is again basing himself on resentment against ‘Brussels’. According to Orbán, the Union’s leadership “does not deserve another chance”. He called for a “change of power” in Brussels, which “must be occupied” to bring about change. The main problem is the billions in EU funding for Hungary, which is being withheld due to a lack of rule of law and corruption.
Twenty years ago, accession, for which 84 percent of Hungarian voters voted, was celebrated with great enthusiasm. In Budapest, a huge hourglass was set in motion at midnight as a ‘symbol of a new era’, as the APA wrote twenty years ago. In the years that followed, however, the euphoria gave way to an increasingly massive confrontation with Brussels, especially since Orbán’s right-wing nationalist party Fidesz came to power in 2010.
Hungary will take over the presidency of the EU Council from July 1
In 2014, Parliament Speaker László Kövér ensured that the EU flag no longer flew on the parliament building in Budapest because, according to Kövér, there was no legal obligation to do so. Against the backdrop of the ongoing disputes with Brussels, Hungary will take over the EU presidency from July 1. According to the latest Eurobarometer survey, 77 percent of Hungarians believe that EU membership has brought benefits to Hungary.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
