HUNGARY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

THE FIRST TEN YEARS2004-2014

THE RELATIONS OF HUNGARY AND THE EUROPEAN UNION DATE BACK TO THE END OF THE 1960s

AFTER THE FIRST FREE ELECTIONS EUROPEAN INTEGRATION BECAME THE MOST IMPORTANT FOREIGN POLICY OBJECTIVE

IN 1988 HUNGARY WAS THE FIRST AMONG THE CENTRAL-EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (EC)

THE FIRST FREE ELECTIONS AND THE CAMPAIGN IN 1990

THE EC COMMISSION LAUNCHED THE PHARE PROGRAM: THIS EU-ASSISTANCE PROJECT HELPED THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC REFORMS IN POLAND AND HUNGARY

IN 1993 THE COPENHAGEM SUMMIT DECLARED THE „COPENHAGEM CRITERIA” THAT THE NEW DEMOCRACIES OF CENTRAL-AND EASTERN-EUROPE NEEDED TO FULFILL

IN APRIL 1994 HUNGARY HANDED OVER HUNGARY’S FORMAL APPLICATION FOR EU-MEMBERSHIP IN ATHENS

THE TALKS WITH THE „SIX” INCLUDING HUNGARY STARTED IN APRIL 1998

THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH HUNGARY WERE CLOSED AT THE COPENHAGEM SUMMIT IN DECEMBER 2002

A REFERENDUM ON EU-ACCESSION WAS HELD IN HUNGARY ON 12 APRIL 2003: 83,76 PERCENT OF THE PARTICIPANTS SAID YES TO THE EUROPEAN UNION ACCESSION

PRIME MINISTER PÉTER MEDGYESSY SIGNED THE TREATY OF ACCESSION AT THE ATHENS SUMMIT ON 16th APRIL 2003

HUNGARY BECAME A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ON 1st MAY 2004

IT JOINED THE SCHENGEN-AREA ON 21st DECEMBER 2007

ACCORDING TO PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR ORBÁN OUR ACCESSION TO THE EURO-ZONE IS NOT PROBABLE BEFORE 2020

OUR COUNTRY TOOK THE ROLE OF ROTATING PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION FROM 1st JANUARY 2011

HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN DARKER CHAPTERS OF THE HUNGARIAN EU MEMBERSHIP….

TAVARES-REPORT

IT WAS WRITTEN BY THE PORTUGUESE MEP RUI TAVARES IN 2013

IT CRITICISED RECENT CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES IN HUNGARY

THESE CHANGES WERE THOUGHT TO BE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE EU FUNDAMENTAL VALUES

THE REPORT WAS PASSED BY A VOTE OF 370 IN FAVOUR WITH 240 AGAINST AND 82 ABSTENTIONS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

THIS REPORT CAUSED CONTROVERSY NOT ONLY IN EU BUT ALSO IN THE HUNGARIAN SOCIETY

ACCORDING TO THE EUROBAROMETER SURVEY HUNGARIANS ARE NOW ONE OF THE MOST EUROSCEPTIC NATIONS

HOWEVER, WE ARE CONVINCED THAT HUNGARY IS FULL OF POTENTIALS WHICH WE KEEP SHARING

WITH THE REST OF EUROPE.