The Prime Minister said that there are more than a dozen EU countries with identical interests on the most important issue for the coming year: the creation after the elections to the European Parliament of the EU’s next seven-year budget.
Mr. Orbán noted that countries’ interests are diverse, but some have interests which coincide, and “we call ourselves ‘Friends of Cohesion’”. He pointed out that these countries will now consult with one another on a common position to represent when negotiating with groups which have opposing interests.
[1]Mr. Orbán highlighted that “there will be complicated negotiations, but in the end we will be able to come to an agreement”. This, he said, was also the case last time: “we experienced all this a few years ago, and I have personal experience of leading such a series of negotiations”.
He pointed out that such matters are complicated, but eventually tend to be resolved successfully.
The meeting of the Friends of Cohesion group in Pozsony/Bratislava will discuss the 2021–2027 EU financial framework, which includes the Cohesion Fund.
[2]Members of the group first met in 2012 in Bucharest.
The organisers in Slovakia have said that they are hosting leaders from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovenia. Also in attendance will be representatives from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, Portugal and Greece, as well as EU Commissioners Maroš Šefčovič and Günther Oettinger.