Marking the 20th anniversary of Hungary's EU accession, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said the people of Hungary have made Europe stronger; their vibrant culture and economic dynamism rippled through the entire EU.
“Twenty years ago today, our family was finally united in a common home. Hungary has always been at the heart of Europe,” Von der Leyen said in a video address on social media. But behind the Iron Curtain, she said, generations of Hungarians had fought bravely to reconquer their freedom. “Twenty years ago you chose to reclaim your rightful place at the centre of our continent. You chose Europe,” the EC president said. Europe has grown stronger ever since, she said, adding that Hungary had also flourished in countless ways with new schools, hospitals and highways built and home-grown renewable energy developed mostly with the help of EU funding. She noted the two Nobel Prizes Hungarian scientists won last year. “Katalin Karikó’s discoveries helped develop the mRNA vaccines that helped beat Covid and saved countless lives. And Ferenc Krausz brought us closer to understanding how matter around us is made,” she said, adding that “both prizes are the result of Hungarian ingenuity”. “We are stronger together. Happy anniversary and long live Europe!” said von der Leyen.