The conference initiated by the European Commission about the future of Europe is an excellent opportunity to bring the European Union closer to citizens, bridging the gap between them and European institutions, Justice Minister Judit Varga said at a video conference held on Thursday.

In the past ten years, we have faced a number of challenges, including a global economic crisis, a migration crisis, Britain’s departure from the European Union and most recently the coronavirus pandemic, the Minister pointed out.

She underlined that while the pandemic has rearranged priorities, we must not allow the desire for a stronger Europe to be forgotten.

“Hungary believes in a strong European Union resting on the foundations of strong Member States,” the Minister laid down, stressing that one does not rule out the other.

The European Union “must protect its diversity, including its Jewish-Christian roots and values,” she added.

Ms. Varga highlighted that Hungary has extensive experience in maintaining a direct democratic dialogue with citizens as since 2010 several national consultations have been held.

“We firmly believe that the participation of citizens in the shaping and application of public policies is a key component of democracy as it confirms the belief that we have an impact on our common future,” she added.

The webinar was organised by the Ministry of Justice and the Mádl Ferenc Institute of Comparative Law. The discussion was attended by Member of the European Parliament-former Justice Minister László Trócsányi, former President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani, State Secretary for European Affairs of Croatia Andreja Metelko-Zgombic, Austrian Minister for the EU Karoline Edtstadler and representatives of European civil-society organisations.

At the end of 2019, as part of her programme, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen raised the idea of a conference about the future of Europe. According to plans, the wide-ranging consultation will start in 2020 and will continue for two years in multiple rounds.

(Ministry of Justice/MTI)