Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that it would be ideal if Macedonia and Bosnia also began their EU accession talks by the end of 2024. Szijjarto was speaking during a press conference organized to mark Albania’s opening of EU accession talks, and said that enlargement is an issue that is by far the most abused by EU hypocrisy.

Believe me, if I have to name one area that is at the top of EU hypocrisy, it is definitely the enlargement. I hear my colleagues say one thing before the public and a completely different thing among us. Unfortunately, I have to tell you that not all say the same thing in public and behind closed doors, Szijjarto said when asked whether the rule of unanimity in EU enlargement should be scrapped.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister pointed to the stellar progress of Serbia as example that the country is more than ready to continue its accession talks. Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi also said that the policy of reforming the EU first and then opening it to further enlargement is not valid, because the two processes can go on simultaneously.

The current institutional readiness of the treaties is perfectly capable to accept new member states. I still believe it is the case and that the enlargement and the internal reforms can be seen as parallel debates, Varhelyi said.