• Poland and Hungary to cooperate during their EU presidencies in 2011
  • Audio2.59 MB
  • 10.11.2009

 

 

György Schöpflin, a Hungarian MEP, shares his thoughts on Hungary’s upcoming presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2011.

 

John Beauchamp reports

 

As a member of the European Parliament’s largest group, the Christian Democrat European People’s Party, he is in talks with his Polish colleagues about the idea of a more formalised handover of the rotating presidency to Poland in the middle of 2011. There are high hopes that both Hungary and Poland will co-operate during that year.

 

Even though Hungary and Poland will have the presidencies in the same year, Hungary is closing its trio and Poland is opening a new 18-month round of presidencies. In this respect it is not just about co-operation, but about the formalisation of trio handovers under the new Lisbon Treaty, which is set to be put into gradual effect from December, the current Swedish presidency has announced.

 

Poland and Hungary have long been partners in Central Europe. Will the presidencies throw both of these closely-tied countries off-balance as they cope with the runnings of the EU? Let’s hope not. But seemingly as with everything in the EU, co-operation is a work in progress.