Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in Brussels on Thursday that the European Union should be fair to Croatia, which he said had achieved significant results and should complete the work that remained to be done by May so that its accession talks could be completed soon afterwards.
The Hungarian PM made the statement at a news conference at which he spoke of the results of the first three months of Hungary's EU presidency.
This morning, Orban said in the European Parliament that there was speculation linking the completion of Croatia's EU entry talks with the granting of EU candidate status to Serbia, adding that this would be dangerous and detrimental to both countries and the European Union.
Orban is the first EU official to have publicly stated that there is speculation that the completion of Croatia's EU accession process should be put on hold until Serbia obtains candidate status, which could happen in December at the earliest.
Asked who was behind such speculation, Orban would not give a direct answer. He said that such hypothetical discussions could be heard in the back corridors, and that it would be very dangerous to draw any conclusions from them.
We must assess countries based on their results, not on the basis of other criteria. We must have a transparent process because otherwise we will have uneven treatment, which would be very unfair to Croatia, said Orban.
Hungary put high among the priorities of its EU presidency the completion of Croatia's EU accession talks and progress in the integration process of other countries in the region.
Orban said that the EU Presidency was encountering most serious problems on the issue of enlargement.
I have already said this morning that I cannot dramatise the situation because it is already dramatic. In the last 15 years support for enlargement has never been weaker than it is now. There are doubts, reservations, fear and insecurity - those are the key words linked with enlargement. Is it in the interest of the EU to expand? Institutions and member-countries are not giving a clear answer to that question, there is a delay in Croatia's case, we are making huge efforts but are running up against the wall. There is also a delay in the admission of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen area, said Orban.
Orban suggested that Central European countries which are friendly towards enlargement unite so that such an unfavourable attitude to enlargement could change.
The Hungarian PM said that enlargement should not be seen only as an expense, a budgetary item, but as an opportunity for economic growth.
