Hungary for Change?
Civitas, 23 December 2010
Hungary is readying itself for its chance at the EU helm as Belgium’s six-month rotating EU Presidency draws to a close. One of the newer EU member states (Hungary joined in 2004), this is their first opportunity to take on the EU Presidency role (member state take it in turns to hold the position for six-months) and it is unashamedly optimistic about the achievements possible under its mediation. Due to take over in January, what should we expect to see develop under Hungary’s guidance?
At first glance… we shouldn’t expect much change. It is not surprising that, given the current economic climate, stabilising the Eurozone has been the consistent thread running through the Spanish and Belgian Presidencies, and will continue with the final of the trio, the Hungarian Presidency. At a press conference on Monday the Hungarian foreign minister, Janos Martonyi, admitted that the economy and the euro will be their central focus (using Bill Clinton’s line, ‘it’s the economy, stupid,’ to underline just how ‘in focus’ this will be). However, whilst the sovereign debt crises dominated the Belgian Presidency, Mr Martonyi is optimistic that the Hungarian Presidency can move on from the crisis to ‘lay the foundations for the future’.
A key building block in this ‘future’ is undoubtedly the development of the permanent bailout fund. The creation of such a fund (as a permanent safety net in the event of a future sovereign debt crisis) will also require a ‘limited’ treaty change, something the Hungarian Presidency will also oversee.
Looking beyond the mammoth task of steadying the Eurozone (which, like it or not, will probably continue to require the most attention) Hungary has selected the somewhat generic goal of bringing a positive emphasis back to the EU expansion process, which has notably flagged since the accession of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. Getting their enthusiasm for this off the page will be tricky, with France and Germany still openly resistant towards EU expansion eastwards (Turkey won’t be joining anytime soon, try as they may). Hungary will however, guide the final stages of Croatia’s membership bid (likely to be completed in the next six-months) and the continued negotiations with the other EU candidate countries.
The rest of Hungary’s presidential programme is wide-ranging, and should not be tarred with the same brush. Hungary has listed 80 areas that it has prioritised for its six-month Presidency, a list that EU Commission President, José Barroso, called ‘very ambitious’. Just over a month into the Presidency a key EU Energy policy meeting is to take place, with the security of supply likely to be high on the agenda. The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, would also like to see ‘healthcare’ tourism take shape under their guidance. Another pressing concern is the Roma issue, which Hungary is keen to resolve. In fact, given half-the-chance, there is plenty for the next presidency to get its teeth into.
Unfortunately, the optimism surrounding Hungary’s aspirations for the EU Presidency has been eclipsed by an ill-judged government clamp down on press freedom. A new media watchdog, established this week, could have extensive powers to sanction and fine journalists, although just how far-reaching its powers will be remains uncertain. However, with criticism raining in from other European states, and the spotlight of the presidency nearly upon them we may well see a serious dilution of the powers of such an agency.
Internal politics aside, the enthusiasm of the Hungarian EU Presidential takeover is encouraging, almost overly so with such an extensive list of goals. After the difficult last six-months this could be exactly the vociferous appetite that the EU needs to get back on track, as long as Hungary doesn’t damage its legitimacy by curtailing media freedom.