Austria and Hungary not only share a boarder but also a long common history. SOCIETY Magazine spoke with the Hungarian Ambassador to Austria, H.E. Edit Szilágyiné Bátorfi, about the longstanding relations and the upcoming Hungarian presidency of the Council of the EU.
As Ambassador of Hungary to Austria – what would you like to achieve during your term here in Austria?
First of all, it is an honour for me to represent Hungary in Austria, a neighbouring country which has been linked to us for centuries. In the face of today’s complex political, economic and technological challenges I believe that this is an opportunity to find good solutions that will help maintain and even enhance these close ties. As Ambassador, I would also like to emphasise developments that will help create coherence on issues that will shape the future. Representing the interests of my country, I consider it one of the most important priorities of my mission that we, as Member States of the European Union, work even more closely together on issues that are important to both countries. Despite good neighbourly relations, there are always topics on which our countries disagree. I would like to strive to overcome obstacles standing in our way through listening, mutual understanding and dialogue. I firmly believe that this is the most efficient way of working together.
An important fact I would like to point out is that today more than 100,000 of our Hungarian compatriots study and work in Austria. The Hungarian community in Austria is complex and reflects both the storms of our common history and the potential of our economic and cultural community. Our Embassy strives to provide all necessary support to Hungarian citizens in their everyday challenges. In close cooperation with the organisations of Hungarians living in Austria, I see it as an important task to promote the interests of the Hungarian community, to preserve their identity, traditions, language and culture and to be able to pass them on to future generations.
I am convinced that we can write new success stories by focussing on the areas of the future. By facilitating dialogue between the relevant institutions and broaden the range of players in the network, we shall boost economic and scientific cooperation, therefore this is a particularly important task for our Embassy. Via our foreign economic office, we provide support to the Hungarian companies approaching the markets in Austria and help both to find sales opportunities for Hungarian products in Austria or investment options. Our expert for science diplomacy on the other hand is developing new institutional and scientific partnerships in the fields of science, research and innovation. Culture is a core mission, as it is what defines us and the best way to communicate about our home in the host country. That is why we support the Collegium Hungaricum, the Hungarian Cultural Institute in Vienna, which has been in existence for 100 years, as much as possible.
Besides the fact that Austria and Hungary are neighbours – what makes the relations between the two countries special?
In the constantly evolving technological situation in the world, it is necessary to redefine our economic relations to ensure that Europe remains competitive and able to face new challenges. The immediate neighbourhood is a key factor in our bilateral relations and represents a strong geopolitical pillar. However, it is not only the geographical proximity, but also the lessons of history serve as a benchmark for the challenges of today. We also have a centuries-old common cultural and scientific space providing us a solid ground for cooperation and brilliant innovation leading even to Nobel Prizes, as we could recently witness again. These are perhaps also the reasons why we act along common interests on many issues in the European Union. Furthermore, the close cross-border personal and family ties cannot be emphasised enough, as this provides us with the most authentic picture of bilateral relations. The large Hungarian community in Austria is another natural link between our countries. It is no coincidence that our economic relations are so strong. In 2023, Austria was Hungary’s fourth largest trading partner, accounting for 5% of Hungary’s total foreign trade. We are also members of many regional cooperation, and these experiences are essential and valuable for good neighbourly relations.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities regarding economic cooperation between our two countries?
Austria and Hungary have a long tradition of business relations. Immediately after the fall of communism, there was a huge interest on the part of Austrian companies to gain a foothold in Hungary. Many took part in the privatisation process that was underway at the time, while others started with direct investments on greenfield sites. As a result, Austria has become the third largest investor in Hungary and has held this position for three decades. The turbulence in global politics and the subsequent challenges for the global economy have led to significant upheavals. The high energy prices, the acceleration of the technological lead of our competitors leave us no choice but to look for new ways to grow, as the old methods are no longer sufficient for us to keep pace. My ambition is to initiate joint projects in breakthrough technologies, be it in the field of digital services, development of new products for mobility, products and services that already meet the needs of the 21st century, based on new philosophies. It will be necessary to redefine our basic concepts, which in turn will have new consequences for existing business models. A lot is being invested in e-mobility in Hungary, as well as in space technologies. It is becoming increasingly difficult to define the distinction between researchers and engineers, or between specific fields. The conditions also have to be readjusted and we have no time to lose in getting them right. We simply need to focus on our strengths and mobilise creativity, expertise, foresight and openness at the same time.
Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. There is continued criticism from the EU, regarding the violations of rule of law principles in Hungary – how might this conflict between EU institutions and Hungary influence your country’s Presidency?
These rule of law disputes aren’t about values, but are mainly on the political agenda of the European Parliament used for its political purposes, thereby exerting political pressure on other EU institutions. Regarding the rule of law in Hungary, on the one hand, the European Commission has acknowledged in December 2023 that the Hungarian judicial system meets all European standards and the current legislation properly addressed all previous concerns of the European Commission, and, on the other hand, regarding the rule of law conditionality mechanism, the Council acknowledged in December 2022 that Hungary adequately implemented the vast majority of the commitments undertaken by the Hungarian Government earlier in 2022. It would be very important for us to change the political dynamics in the European Parliament after the upcoming elections. This would create an environment where the relationship between the EP and member states would be based on different political foundations, while respecting the different national identities and constitutional traditions of the member states, as required by the Treaties. It would ease the political pressure exerted by the European Parliament and as a consequence by the European Commission on member states and the coercion towards political decision-making, leading the Commission back to its role as guardian of the Treaties and executor of political priorities defined by member states.
Can you already tell us a bit about the programmes/issues the Hungarian Presidency will focus on?
The Hungarian Presidency is primarily focused on navigating the EU’s transitional phase, which involves ensuring continuity in institutional activities as the terms of the Commission and the President of the European Council conclude alongside the upcoming elections for the European Parliament in June. The Presidency aims to enable the EU to effectively respond to both anticipated challenges, such as adopting the 2025 budget amid institutional transition, and unforeseen crises. Acknowledging past presidencies’ tendency to pivot towards crisis management, Hungary is prepared for such challenging international scenarios. Our priorities, developed in collaboration with Spain and Belgium through the ‚trio presidency programme,‘ revolve around enhancing the EU’s economic competitiveness. This includes addressing structural deficiencies, demographic challenges, and migration, with a particular emphasis on its external dimension. Additionally, conducting a mid-term review of cohesion policy and bolstering European security and defence policy, particularly through the European defence industry, are significant tasks on our agenda. Hungary also underscores the importance of maintaining an objective and balanced approach to enlargement, focusing on the Western Balkans – which hold strategic significance for Hungary – and also on Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.