Hungarian Conservative

The Budapest Balkans Forum 2024 began with captivating discussions about the region’s future, featuring Hungarian government officials such as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Defence Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, and Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka, among others.

During her meetings, Katalin Novák expressed her support for the EU accession of West Balkan nations, visited the troops of the Hungarian-led EUFOR Althea mission, and discussed Hungary’s family support schemes.

In a telephone interview with Hungarian state news agency MTI, Judit Varga, referring to Ukraine’s planned EU integration, highlighted that the Western Balkans countries have been waiting for EU membership for two decades, and called for an approach based on merit in the accession process, avoiding double standards and expedited pathways.

Ursula von der Leyen, presenting the report on the expected reforms for the EU accession of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia, as well as the accession prospects for the Western Balkans and Turkey, announced that the European Commission recommends initiating accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, as soon as they meet final conditions.

The establishment of the Union of Serbian Municipalities is still a major contention for Kosovo. Should Belgrade and Pristina still be willing to accept a West-backed agreement, the two countries would have official representatives in each other’s capitals.

Encouraged internationally but rejected locally—will the Union of Serbian Municipalities be established in Kosovo?

Whether the Western Balkans will be inside or outside Europe in the coming decades will also determine the development of the EU, President Katalin Novák emphasised.