HUNGARIAN PRIME minister Viktor Orban criticised the halting progress of enlargement of the EU, claiming support for the policy has never been lower.
Saying his country’s six-month rotating presidency of the EU had achieved solid results in key portfolios, Mr Orban said enlargement was the area in which he had encountered the most significant difficulties.
The start of the six-month Hungarian presidency in January was marred by an outcry from major EU member states over Hungary’s media laws, which Mr Orban later promised to amend.
Addressing reporters in Brussels yesterday, the Hungarian prime minister said the financial crisis would have been much worse if the EU had not expanded into eastern and central Europe.
He decried a slowdown in Croatia’s accession process, bemoaned a dispute over Macedonia’s name, said Serbia should be judged according to its achievements and questioned why Romania and Bulgaria had not been admitted to the Schengen visa-free travel area.
“I have seen that support for enlargement has never been lower than it is now over these past 15 years,” Mr Orban said.
“There are doubts, there are reservations, or fears or uncertainties. These are the key words attached to enlargement.”
“Is it in the interest of the member states to enlarge Europe? The institutions, the heads of the member states are not giving a clear reply today to this question.”
Weeks after the EU Commission warned Croatia that it must take further steps to reform its judiciary, prosecute war crimes and tackle corruption, Mr Orban criticised a “delay” in its application process. “We are making an enormous effort but we are running up against a wall and we have a delay,” he said. “Croatia has achieved results, what they have not achieved so far they should by May and then we should declare the end of the negotiations.”
Accession talks with Macedonia have been vetoed by Greece due to a dispute over the country’s name, a situation Mr Orban described as one of the toughest issues. “If I should characterise this situation I should say that it’s an embodiment of absurdity. Even when I’m rotating presidency of the council I have to think about how to address even the name of this country.”
He continued: “We have a delay in Romania and Bulgaria joining the Schengen space. At least we have a document which shows that these two countries are sufficiently prepared to join the Schengen area but despite that there is no political support.”
With Serbia’s application delayed by the fact that alleged war criminal Ratko Mladic remains at large, Mr Orban said the country should be judged on work it has already done.
