Arraiolos Summit in Krakow
Hungary is serving Europe and its citizens responsibly, said President of Hungary Dr. Tamás Sulyok at a press conference following the Arraiolos Group Summit in Krakow on Friday.
Hungary and Poland are linked by a historical relationship going back a thousand years, the President said, stressing that Hungary is also connected to Europe by similarly close ties.
"For us, Europe represents both our Christian faith and values, and our national identity. We Hungarians see Europe as a free community of sovereign nations having the same cultural roots, organised along the same values", Tamás Sulyok pointed out.
He added that this is also why Hungary is committed to strengthening Europe and European communities, protecting the continent’s interests and preserving its peace.
The President stated that the European Union embodies both unity and diversity; its strength and value lie not in homogenisation, but in the diversity of nations. The values, strengths, and unique characteristics of the member states serve the entire community, making Europe stronger and better, he emphasized.
Different opinions and constructive debates help us to better understand each other and find the best solutions to our common challenges, be it the Russian-Ukrainian war, migration or the competitiveness challenges of the global economy, Tamás Sulyok stressed.
It is worth taking care to ensure that the European Union remains the promise of Europe, he said, stressing that this is also the purpose of the Arraiolos Group, which provided an informal opportunity to exchange views on the main challenges facing Europe and the world. "We have done all this for the future of Europe," he said.
After the press statement, the President of Hungary told Hungarian journalists that the meeting touched upon issues that are shaping the geopolitical situation in Europe and the world, including the Russian-Ukrainian war, energy security, competitiveness, economic problems arising from the realignment of the world economy, and EU accession.
He emphasized that they agreed that keeping the Western Balkan countries waiting any further would call into question the European Union's credibility among these nations.
He added that the forthcoming US elections was also discussed, regarding which the majority opinion was that the elections will not fundamentally affect the current situation in terms of strengthening European defence capabilities. Everyone believes that both the US and NATO are important players in European security, but that European defence capabilities need to be strengthened jointly.
He also said that many EU member states argue that they are transferring sovereignty to the EU, which is impossible because sovereignty is indivisible. In our view, it is a transfer of powers.
He added that powers are based on national constitutions, so if the core of national constitutional law conflicts with EU law, the Member States that have delegated powers can review the situation. This is not only our view, but also that of more than ten other EU Member States, based on constitutional court practice - he said.