| Hungary will hold the Presidency of the Visegrád Group between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018, assuming the presidency from Poland. In the upcoming year, we will face a number of significant events and challenges that will demonstrate the critical importance of regional cooperation. |
Hungarian Presidency 01.07.2017 - 30.06.2018
Speaker-level meetings
The closing event of parliamentary cooperation during the Hungarian Presidency of the Visegrad Group, i.e. the Informal Meeting of the Presidents and Speakers of Parliaments of the Visegrad countries and the football tournament of the V4 parliamentary teams, were organised by the Hungarian National Assembly between June 21-23, 2018 in Balatonfüred.
The official meeting of Speakers/Presidents of the Visegrád Group Parliaments took place on 2nd March 2018 in Budapest.
Budapest was the venue for the first Meeting of the Presidents and Speakers of V4 Parliaments during the Hungarian V4 Presidency. At the invitation of László Kövér...
Committee-level meetings
Representatives of the V4 Parliaments’ Defence Committees convened in Budapest on 21-22nd February 2018 under the auspices of the parliamentary dimension of the V4 Hungarian Presidency.
Representatives of the V4 Parliaments’ Agricultural Committees convened in Budapest on 14-15th February 2018.
Representatives of the V4 Parliaments’ Economics Committees convened in Budapest on 7-8th February 2018.
Events
Annual Session of V4+ Parliamentary Libraries and Research Services 24-25 May 2018, Budapest
Preparation (01.07.2017 - 01.07.2016)
Speaker-level meetings
The Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Marek Kuchciński and the Marshal of the Senate of Poland Stanisław Karczewski convened a working meeting of V4 speakers of Parliament in Przemyśl on 3-4 December 2016. In addition to the hosts and Speaker Kövér, the Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Andrej Danko, the President of the Czech Senate Milan Štěch and the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Jaroslava Pokorná Jermanová also attended the meeting.
The agenda of the event included discussions concerning visions for the future of the European Union, including strengthening the roles national parliaments play, as well as practical proposals aimed at bolstering the recognition of V4 cooperation.
Committee-level meetings
The agenda of the meeting featured discussions of the impacts of the European Union, the United States and Russia, as well as the presidency of Donald Trump, on Eastern policy; European security challenges; and questions related to the southern neighbourhood, migration, terrorism, the conflict in Syria and relations with Turkey.
Agreeing, meeting participants emphasised the need for the renewal of the EU and for the Central European region to take a united stance. They noted the crisis of European integration affecting economic, social and political questions. In this context, participants raised the idea of increasing defence spending and a common intent to prevent the evolution of a two-speed Europe.
Regarding the issue of migration, Zsolt Németh – alluding to the motto of the Hungarian V4 presidency, “Visegrád Connects” – spoke positively of the united and consensual actions of the V4. He expressed his hope that member nations will be able to represent their positions in a similarly united fashion as far as the quota issue is concerned. Meeting participants agreed that Germany is no longer able to cope with the question of migration alone, and therefore called it necessary for the V4 to take coordinated action, urging cooperation to prevent the establishment of newer paths for migration.
Events
The Speaker of Parliament was accompanied on his visit to Poland by Mrs. László Csúcs, the spokesperson for the Polish nationality in Parliament, and by Ministry of Agriculture Deputy State Secretary István Lóránt Szakáli.