At the Hungarian-German Forum in Berlin on November 8, Minister of State in charge of European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Enikő Győri declared that EU member states should not let „new walls rise within the European Union”.

In her opening remarks at the 22th Assembly of the Hungarian-German Forum, Minister of State Győri stressed that Hungary was interested in successfully resolving the eurozone crisis, but it should be accomplished without negatively influencing the situation of the non-eurozone states and without making it more difficult for them to join the eurozone eventually.

„We have come to a turning point of European history, and it significantly depends on Germany which direction we will ultimately go,” – said the Hungarian Minister of State.

Minister of State Győri claimed that there was a consensus among member states regarding the fundamental objectives such as the fact that economic growth should not be promoted at the expense of increasing taxes or that fiscal discipline and economic growth should not be juxtaposed. She added that growth was useless if it did not help create new jobs in the labour market.

The Minister of State pointed out that it was in the interest of Germany to help the economic growth of Central Europe because it would primarily benefit German companies. Consequently, German and Hungarian interests coincide in preserving the EU budget and maintaining the cohesion policy.

The Hungarian Minister of State said that Hungary had behaved irresponsibly during the first decade of the twenty-first century, and so had lost its relative advantage in the region. Hungary is still paying the price for that. The good news is that Hungary has been committed to fiscal discipline since 2010 as a result of which „budget deficit and state debt has decreased by unprecedented levels, and the Hungarian trade balance is positive with Germany, the world champion in exports.” She pointed out that the reforms Hungary had implemented „had their price”, and economic recovery was slow, but thanks to the government’s economic policy jobs had been preserved. Employment is higher than two years ago and there are no unbearable social tensions. „Hungary is on its way to catching up with the rest of central Europe” – Minister of State Enikő Győri concluded.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)