Justice minister: EU must be 'brought closer' to citizens

A conference on the future of Europe, initiated by the European Commission, could be an "exceptional opportunity to bring the EU closer to its citizens" and "close the gap between the people and European institutions", Justice Minister Judit Varga told a videoconference on Thursday. Varga said that though the recent Covid-19 epidemic had "reshuffled priorities" the community should not "forget about its vision of a stronger Europe". "Hungary believes in a strong European Union based on strong members," Varga said, adding that "the two notions do not exclude each other". The EU "must preserve its diverse nature including its Jewish-Christian roots and values," the minister said.