On 15 April, Minister of State for EU Affairs Szabolcs Takács greeted the Ambassadors of EU Member States at a reception, and presented the new structure of his department.
In his speech, Mr. Takács said that the decision on reorganising government-level coordination of EU affairs was not only structural, but also symbolic. More than ten years after Hungary’s accession to the European Union, EU Affairs have become issues of nationwide importance, greatly affecting all Hungarian citizens and economic actors, and influencing domestic affairs as well. The Prime Minister’s Office is thus able to provide an organisational and professional framework to ensure that national interests are respected and that communication between the Government and EU institutions is effective.
The Minister of State emphasised the Government’s priority objective, according to which it not only wants to achieve closer cooperation with EU institution systems, but also wishes to enhance direct communication with the foreign representations and capitals of the other 27 Member States.
Hungary is motivated to apply the best practices of other Member States in its own system, which is why Mr. Takács has initiated closer cooperation between the heads of missions and the State Secretariat for EU Affairs.