Hungary is committed to respecting European Union values, Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, the President of the European Commission, said at a joint press conference with Hungarian President Pal Schmitt in Brussels on Wednesday.
Hungary is ready to seize the historic opportunity to show that it is able to carry burdens not just for the Hungarian people but for the 500 million citizens of the European Union, Schmitt said after his meeting with Barroso.
Hungary wants a strong Europe and believes that Europe will come out stronger after its presidency, Schmitt said, adding that there would be a lot of work in the next six months, including meeting economic challenges. This work must be carried out in a coordinated manner, he added.
Schmitt expressed gratitude for the acceptance of Hungary’s presidency programme and that it is seen to fit the long-term development goals of the EU.
Schmitt said it is important that Hungary is part of a trio of presidencies, which was “team work” and there were obligatory tasks to carry out.
Hungary has added items to the agenda, including regional development, the Danube strategy, the Eastern Partnership programme, enlargement towards the Balkans or a European perspective for some countries, and the Roma strategy, which is very important to Hungary, he said.
Barroso said he expected progress from the meeting of EU heads of state and government to be hosted by Hungary early February, where energy issues, including the EU’s energy integration programme, infrastructure developments and improvements to internal market operations will be addressed.
The presidents said they had discussed Hungary’s controversial media law at their meeting. Barroso said he would not like to “pre-judge the opinion of the European Commission” before the results of its examination of the law.
Schmitt said that the freedom of the press is sacred for Hungary and added that if corrections to the law are needed, the government is ready to oblige.
Schmitt met Barroso at the end of his two-day visit to Brussels. He held talks with European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek and Hungarian MEPs. He also met Herman Van Rompuy, the European Council chairman and was received by Belgian King Albert II.
