Event

Facing the Tide: Understanding and Countering the Illiberal Populist Surge
- Conference of the Hungarian Europe Society -

Venue: Central European University, Budapest, 1052 Nádor utca 15, Room 106
Date: Friday, 21 November 2025 

PROGRAM

Conference photos by Ivola Bazánth

Conference recordings on the YouTube Channel of HES

Podcasts by Nyugat.hu:
A legnagyobb kérdés az, hogy képes lesz-e önmegtartóztatásra a politikai elit?
Nem csak az fontos, Orbán Viktor milyen lett. Hogyan nőtt meg propaganda szerepe hazánkban?

On 10 November 2025 at the joint event organised by the Hungarian European Society in the framework of the DIACOMET project and Mérték Media Monitor. Bea Bodrogi, Éva Bognár and Pál Dániel Rényi participated in a panel discussion moderated by Erik Uszkiewicz at the public space of Magyar Hang.

The Hungarian European Society, together with its partners within the DIACOMET consortium, organised a panel discussion for a second time at the Forum 2000 conference in Prague on 14 October 2025.

Bazánth Ivola képei a Magyarországi Európa Társaság Nők a rendszer szövetében című workshopjáról. 2025. június 2.

A workshop előadásai hamarosan elérhetőek a  MET YouTube csatornáján.

Bazánth Ivola képei a Magyarországi Európa Társaság Európa-Nők-Művészet​ című workshopjáról. 2025. május 14.

A workshop előadásai elérhetőek a  MET YouTube csatornáján.

Bazánth Ivola képei a Magyarországi Európa Társaság Globális és európai politikai dilemmák szakértő magyar nők szemével című workshopjáról. 2025. április 14.

A workshop előadásai elérhetőek a  MET YouTube csatornáján.

The Hungarian Europe Society organised a study tour between 21-24 January 2025 to Warsaw. István Hegedűs, Zselyke Tófalvi and Erik Uszkiewicz held numerous meetings with civil society partners and political analysts. A detailed report was prepared on the lessons learned from the "wellbeing" program. The trip was supported by the Civilizáció coalition.

Communication Distortions and the Possibility of Democratic Dialogue in the 21st Century
– in-person international conference organised by the Hungarian Europe Society under the auspices of DIACOMET project in cooperation with the SCIENCE+ regional network –

Date: 12 November 2024, Tuesday 12:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Venue: Central European University, Budapest Campus, 15 Nádor utca, Budapest, H-1051, Room 106

Program

“Mothers of Europe” / Európai nők - Az európai sztori másik fele 
Női küzdelmek a demokráciáért, szabadságért és az egységes Európáért Magyarországon, illetve a világon
– a Magyarországi Európa Társaság és az ELTE Társadalomtudományi Kar konferenciája –

Dátum: 2024. október 22., kedd
Helyszín: ELTE TáTK, Ferge Zsuzsanna Kari Tanácsterem, földszint 0.100/C, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A.

Program

Conference photos by Ivola Bazánth

Conference recordings on the YouTube Channel of HES

Scientific disinformation and populism

INVITATION to an in-person and on-line workshop organised by the Hungarian Europe Society under the auspices of DIACOMET project
in cooperation with the SCIENCE+ regional project

Date: 25 April 2024, Thursday 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Venue: Hungarian Europe Society, H-1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy utca 11.

RSVP: via e-mail (uszerik[at]gmail.com) by 19 April 2024

Program

Concluding Public Discussion

April 15, 2024 | 12:00h (GMT +4) | 10:00h (CET) Tbilisi Marriott/Hybrid

AGENDA

Analysing Media Polarisation in Georgia and V4 States: Domestic and External Factors - Main Findings for Hungary

Photos of the international conference "What Can Liberals and Democrats Fight With? Finding a Winning Narrative in the High-stakes 2024 European Elections" organised by HES on 5-6 April 2024.

Please find the conference recordings on the YouTube channel of HES. 

Support the notion of an integrated Europe!
Hungarian Europe Society

Tax Identification Number: 18241518-1-4

Fake news, disinformation and conspiracy theories in the Hungarian public sphere
in-person and on-line workshop organised by the Hungarian Europe Society under the auspices of DIACOMET project

Date: 21 February 2024, Wednesday 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Venue: Hungarian Europe Society, H-1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy utca 11.

Program

New EU ideas and legislation to strengthen media freedom
EMFA, DSA, DMA: what do the acronyms mean?
– workshop organised by the Hungarian Europe Society under the auspices of DIACOMET project –

Date: 28 November 2023, Tuesday 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Venue: Hungarian Europe Society, H-1052 Budapest, Gerlóczy utca 11.

PROGRAM 

On 12 September 2023, at the seat of the Hungarian Europe Society in Budapest, Zsuzsanna Szelényi presented her book "Szétzilált ország" on the development and characteristics of the Orbán-regime. Following her presentation, Miklós Mitrovits, historian, lecturer at ELTE University and the National Public Service University analysed the political situation in Poland ahead of the parliamentary elections.

Pictures from the international conference "The Renewal of Liberal Democracy: Vision, Strategy, Competition. Parties and Civil Society" organised by HES on 21 April 2023.

On 23 February 2023 Epp Lauk and Kristina Juraitė, Professors at the Vytautas Magnus University Kaunas talked online about the objectives of the new DIACOMET project that will start with the participation of the Hungarian Europe Society after a successful application for an EU grant. They were followed by Krisztina Rozgonyi, senior scientist at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, who spoke about the legal framework of the concept and by Erik Uszkiewicz, who elaborated the role and tasks of HES in the consortium.

International conference organised by HES: "The Future of Democracy and the Summit for Democracy from the Perspective of a Hungarian NGO"

Date: 26 November 2022, Saturday

CONFERENCE RECORDINGS on the YouTube Channel of HES

PROGRAM

Media coverage: Details of the Conference in the Report of Klubrádió (HU)

The Future of Democracy: Strengthening Liberal Values, Institutions and Procedures at Global, European, Regional and National Levels
online conference of the Hungarian Europe Society
Date: 17 March 2022, Thursday

Program

CONFERENCE RECORDINGS

A European Success Story? Central Europe from democratic revolutions to EU Accession (1989-2004) and beyond

February 23 (Wednesday), 2022 16:00-18:10h
Online Event (ZOOM)

Agenda

The Legacy of 1956, 1989 and 2004 from the Perspective of 2021 in Hungary - hybrid conference organised by the Hungarian Europe Society -
PROGRAM

Date and venue: 22 October 2021, Friday 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (CET) at ibis Styles Budapest Center (Rákóczi út 58., 1074 Budapest) & Zoom

Online international conference
Monday, 27 September 2021

WATCH THE CONFERENCE RECORDINGS ON HES'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Program (CET)

The Hungarian Europe Society has provided a platform for political analysts, policy experts, intellectuals, civil society activists and citizens from the Central European region, the European Union and the United States of America in order to analyse new global trends and seek solutions to current political, cultural and economic dilemmas. At our forthcoming event we intend to discuss with our guests the growing challenges of great power politics and their security implications, inequality in all its forms and the need of economic recovery, climate change as well as the pressure of anti-liberal, populist forces in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This conference is also a closing event of our webinar series held in 2020-21 under the same title.

Uncertain Times: The Future of Trans-Atlantic Relations from the Perspective of NGOs and Think Tanks in Central Europe and Hungary
- online webinar series organised by the Hungarian Europe Society -
Eighth Debate
Energy and climate policy: A green future amidst competing interests

Date: 5 July 2021, Monday 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. (CET)

For the corresponding papers please scroll down here and share your comments in the comment section following a fast registration.

On 26 May 2021 the Hungarian Europe Society held an online discussion focusing on the Western Balkans. First, Hana Semanić, former research fellow at the Central European University, Center for European Neighborhood Studies spoke about „Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Path to the EU: State of Affairs and Key Issues”, followed by Beáta Huszka, member of HES, Marie Curie fellow at ELIAMEP in Athens, visiting researcher of ECFR, assistant professor at ELTE talking about „Political Upheavals in the Western Balkans during the Covid Crisis”.

Uncertain Times: The Future of Trans-Atlantic Relations from the Perspective of NGOs and Think Tanks in Central Europe and Hungary
- online webinar series organised by the Hungarian Europe Society -
Fifth Debate
Inclusiveness and its challenges: The state of minorities in the Western world

Date: 28 April 2021, Wednesday 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. (CET)

For the corresponding papers please scroll down here and share your comments in the comment section following a fast registration.

Ilona Kiss, literary historian, literary translator and András Radnóti, foreign policy expert, members of the Hungarian Europe Society made short online presentations about the political situation in Russia and the upcoming Duma elections on 9 April 2021.

Uncertain Times: The Future of Trans-Atlantic Relations from the Perspective of NGOs and Think Tanks in Central Europe and Hungary
- online webinar series organised by the Hungarian Europe Society -
Third Debate - The future of liberal democracies: The rise of populism

4 February 2021, Thursday 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. (CET)

For the corresponding papers please scroll down here. Sign in or register on our website and share your comments on the papers after scrolling down to the comment section.

On 27 November 2020 the new board of the association was elected at the general meeting of the Hungarian Europe Society.

Uncertain Times: The Future of Trans-Atlantic Relations from the Perspective of NGOs and Think Tanks in Central Europe and Hungary

- online webinar series organised by the Hungarian Europe Society -

First Debate: Media freedom and media pluralism: the role of social media in modern democracies on the two sides of the Atlantic

9 November 2020, Monday 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. (CET) - The debate is available on our YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

For the corresponding papers please scroll down here.
Register on our Open Space platform, or sign in if already registered, and share your comments in the comment section below this event.

On 1 July 2020 Edit Zgut, researcher at the Polish Academy of Sciences analysed the outcome of the first round of the presidential elections in Poland in her presentation. At the beginning of the meeting Wojciech Przybylski, the editor-in-chief of Visegrad Insight talked about the election campaign on Zoom from Warsaw. 

Debunking Disinformation & Fake News on Ukraine's Labour Migration -

The Hungarian Europe Society together with Europe Without Barriers organised a workshop entitled "Ukraine at Turning Point - Debunking Disinformation & Fake News on Ukraine's Labour Migration" on 20 May 2019 in Budapest. The event was part of the "Promoting evidence-based media coverage of labour migration from Ukraine to V4 countries" project supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

Benjamin de Cleen, Assistant Professor at the Department of Communication Studies, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, made a presentation entitled "Populism, nationalism, and European politics" on 6 March 2019 in Budapest.

Gábor Filippov, political scientist-historian, gave a presentation entitled "The Nature and Perspectives of the Hungarian Political Regime" on 15 February 2019.

Members of the Hungarian Europe Society gave lectures at the annual final meeting of the organisation on 29 December 2018.

The Hungarian Europe Society and the German Marshall Fund of the United States organised the final event of the V4Europe project entitled "Turning the tide of populist authoritarianism. Mobilising a pro-European agenda in Central Europe" on 16 October 2018 at the Residence Palace in Brussels. The speakers were István Hegedűs and Zsuzsanna Szelényi as well as Benedek Jávor, Member of the European Parliament. The debate was moderated by Rosa Balfour, Senior fellow, Europe Program, GMF. 

The international workshop "From Populist, Illiberal Political Narratives to Conspiracy Theories and Fake News in the Visegrád Region and Beyond" organised by the Hungarian Europe Society and supported by the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung für die Freiheit was held on 7 June 2018 at the conference room of the National Association of Hungarian Journalists (Vörösmarty utca 47/A, H-1064 Budapest).

On 2 March 2018 Zsolt Boda, Director of the Institute for Political Science of the HAS Centre for Social Sciences made a presentation entitled "Trust and Distrust in Hungarian Politics". 

On 3 January 2018 Tihamér Czika made a presentation entitled "Hungarians Abroad: Myths and Realities" at the traditional internal workshop of HES. Following the discussion, at the general assembly members re-elected the board: István Hegedűs will serve as chairman, Györgyi Kocsis, András Schweitzer and Zsuzsanna Végh as vice-chairpersons. Members of the supervisory board are Anita Bakos, Katalin Nagy and Zsófia Stahl.

The two international workshops organized by the Hungarian Europe Society (HES) in October are entitled

"Sovereignty in the Era of Globalisation: V4Europe – Renewal in the European Union from Central European Perspectives”, which was held on 27 October 2017 (Friday)

and

"Reforming the EU: Central European Perspectives", which was held on 28 October 2017 (Saturday).

On 19 April 2017 Anna Donáth, Barnabás Kádár and Anna Orosz, three leaders of Momentum Movement, were the guests of HES. 

On 21 March 2017 the Hungarian Europe Society signed a joint protest declaration as one of its initiators against the threats presented by the Hungarian government to civil organisations.

A toolkit about human rights was completed by the Foundation for Democratic Youth (DIA) for the request of the Hungarian Europe Society in the framework of the "Do We Have European Citizen Rights?" project in February 2016. Rita Galambos included the outcomes of the trainings in secondary schools supported by the project into the methodological description.

In the framework of the Citizen-rights project trainers of the Foundation for Democratic Youth in co-operation with the Hungarian Europe Society held sessions about democratic rights and responsibility for altogether hundred students of the Petrik Lajos Bilingual Secondary School, the Alternative Secondary School of Economics, the Városmajori Secondary School and the Politechnikum between November 2015 and January 2016.

The Budapest training of the Create/React program took place between 16-18 October 2015 in the framework of the European Citizen Rights project. The workshop was organised by HES in cooperation with the European Alternatives.

This year once again HES organised the meetings in Budapest and an excursion to the countryside for the fellows of the German Marshall Fund between 1-5 May 2015.
Program

This was the title of the analysis given by Károly Banai, foreign and security policy expert, former Hungarian ambassador in Brussels and chief government advisor on 17 February 2015, putting the present Ukrainian-Russian conflict into broad global political and energy-market contexts.

HES held its traditional annual workshop this time at the beginning of the year, on 3 January 2015. Members of the Society held presentations: firstly, Tamás Fóti spoke about the subject of "Juncker's Programme: Set a Thief to Catch a Thief?", secondly Gergely Brückner talked about the most important actors and mechanisms of the Fidesz economic heartland, and about the politically driven world of the oligarchs in Hungary, finally György Petőcz elaborated the new waves of Hungarian anti-governmental demonstrations organised on Facebook.

On 10 September 2014, Roger Golland, a British diplomat and political analyst talked to the members of the Hungarian Europe Society about the possible outcomes of the referendum on Scottish independence to be held on 18 September 2014, and its European implications in the contexts of the rise of nationalisms in Europe and the financial-economic crisis.

"Legal instruments and political challenges at European level: options between infringement procedures and sanctions" was the title of the presentation held by Kim Lane Scheppele, constitutional lawyer at Princeton University in Café Spinoza on 22 January 2014.

At the traditional annual workshop on 27 December 2013 organised by HES, members of the Society held presentations. First, Attila Bartha elaborated the main theses of the study "Changes of the Hungarian pension system from the perspective of political science", then, Zsuzsanna Végh talked about the report "Certificate of Hungary's Foreign Relations".

Tamás Boros, director of Policy Solutions made a presentation entitled "Which political group is going to win the European Parliament elections in 2014?" on 28 October 2013.

Krekó Péter, analyst of the Political Capital think tank, held a presentation entitled "Will the European Union Serve as the Chief Enemy in the Hungarian Election Campaign?" on 4 September 2013 at Spinoza café.

Gordon Bajnai, former Prime Minister of Hungary, leader of the Alliance Together - Dialogue for Hungary made a presentation for members of the Hungarian Europe Society on 28 August 2013.
 

Kim Lane Scheppele, a Princeton Egyetem alkotmányjogász tanára volt a MET brüsszeli szekciójának vendége 2013. június 27-én. Előadását a következő címmel tartotta meg: Mit tehetünk azokkal az uniós tagállamokkal, amelyek elköteleződése az európai szerződésekben lefektetett értékek iránt kétséges?

Júlia Király, who had resigned in April  from her office as the deputy governor of the Hungarian National Bank, gave a talk titled "Hungarian monetary policy during and after the period of András Simor, the former Governor" to the members of the Hungarian Europe Society on 2 May 2013.

As a member of the international "Visa-free Europe Coalition", the Hungarian Europe Society, together with the Ukrainian NGO “Europe without Barriers” and the CEU Center for EU Enlargement Studies, was one of the organisers of the event entitled „EU Visa Policy: What Neighbors Could Do? Example of Hungary”; which took place on 8 April 2013 at Central European University (CEU) in Budapest.

2013. február 28-án került sor a Magyarországi Európa Társaság, a Mérték Médiaelemző Műhely, a Milla (Egymillióan a magyar sajtószabadságért) és a Délkelet-európai Médiaközpontok Hálózata “Európai polgári kezdeményezés a média sokszínűségéért” című kampányának sajtótájékoztatójára. A rendezvényen a négy civil szervezet bejelentette, hogy elindították a magyarországi online aláírásgyűjtést a média pluralizmusa és a sajtó szabadsága védelmében. A sajtótájékoztatón a MET nevében Kocsis Györgyi méltatta a kezdeményezés európai jelentőségét.

A Társaság a Szabadságjogokért, az Eötvös Károly Közpolitikai Intézet, a Magyarországi Európa Társaság, a Mérték Médiaelemző Műhely és a Délkelet-európai Médiaközpontok Hálózata képviselői közös levélben fordultak Thorbjørn Jaglandhoz, az Európa Tanács főtitkárához 2013. február 4-én, felhíva a figyelmet az európai intézmény és a magyar kormány között a magyar médiatörvényekről született új megállapodás komoly hiányosságaira.

Karácsony Gergely, az LMP (Lehet Más a Politika) frakcióvezető-helyettese volt a Magyarországi Európa Társaság vendége 2013. január 19-én. Az előadás és az azt követő beszélgetés a pártja és a demokratikus ellenzéki erők előtt álló aktuális kihívásokról folyt.

A press release itt olvasható.The Hungarian Europe Society held a press conference on 5 December 2012 to introduce the report written by its research team entitled "Where Does the PERC Index Stand? Or: From EU Destructives to Federalists: Relationship of the Hungarian Parties to the European Union". 

Dénes Balázs, a Társaság a Szabadságjogokért elnöke tartott előadást 2012. november 21-én, melyben ezt a kérdést tette föl: "Sokan szeretik, de még többen gyűlölik, pártoktól független, de nem politikamentes, hangos demokrata, és időnként az ellenségei jogait védi. Mi az?".

2012. október 29-én Tölgyessy Péter, jogász, politikai elemző, 1990 és 2006 között országgyűlési képviselő tartott előadást Magyarország helyzete két és fél év Fidesz-kormányzás után címmel.

Fokasz Nikosz szociológus tartott előadást Görögország válságban: a kollektív viselkedés reflexei címmel 2012. szeptember 21-én.
Egy előadás pontjai és további képei.
 

HES members met with Franziska Brantner, member of the Greens/European Free Alliance political group in the European Parliament for a discussion on European issues on 30 May 2012.

The Hungarian Europe Society held а discussion evening entitled "The secret police past and the openness of files" on 23 May 2012. Its focus was on the historical and political aspects of the still open question of the communist secret police informers. The invited presenters were the historian László Varga and HES member József Gulyás, who was a member of the National Security Committee of the Hungarian Parliament until 2010.

On 4 April 2012 Mihály Laki, Research Fellow of the Institute of Economics at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences made a presentation entitled Hungarian Big Entrepreneurs and Multinational Firms.

On 30 January 2012 Ferenc Karvalits, Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Hungary made a presentation entitled International Loan Negotiations and Economic Perspectives.

On 29 December 2011, the Hungarian Europe Society held its regular annual workshop where HES members made presentations for HES members.
Program
Györgyi Kocsis: Humpty Dumpty in Europe: the Hungarian Government Is Hesitating about the European Union 
István Pál Ádám: Contributions to the History of Concierges in Budapest during the First Half of the 20th Century
Kinga Szuly: Why Do not We Have a European Public Sphere if We Do Have it? 

László Majtényi, President of the Eötvös Károly Institute made a presentation entitled Transformation of the Constitutional and Political System in Hungary on 31 May 2011.

On 20 December 2010, the Hungarian Europe Society held its regular annual workshop in the new building of the Representation of the European Commission in Hungary where HES members made presentations for HES members on actual Hungarian and European issues.
Program:
Introduction: Tamás Szűcs (Head of the Representation), István Hegedűs (HES Chairman)
László Jankovics: About the Reform of the European Economic Co-ordination or What to Do with the First Letter of EMU?

Paczolay Péter, az Alkotmánybíróság elnöke tartott előadást Szükség van-e új alkotmányra? címmel 2010. szeptember 27-én.

A Balti-tengeri Régió Stratégia bevezetése után az Európai Unió egy új, a dunai régióra vonatkozó makroregionális stratégia kidolgozásán dolgozik.  E térség részeként és az EU jövőbeli soros tanácsi elnökeként Magyarország döntő szerepet kíván játszani az új elképzelés megvalósításában.

A Magyarországi Európa Társaság (MET) meghívja Önt workshopjára, amely ezzel a sokat vitatott, ám kevéssé ismert kezdeményezéssel foglalkozik. A szerzők, akik mindannyian a MET tagjai, bemutatják új, az EU Duna Régió Stratégiájáról szóló publikációjukat.

On 16 December 2009, HES members held presentations for HES members in the Hungarian House of Photography - Mai Manó House.

On 7 October 2009, János Rainer, Director of the Institute for the History of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution held a presentation entitled „89:56, or Two Revolutions?”.

The Hungarian Europe Society held an international workshop on 22-23 May 2009 (Friday afternoon and Saturday) in the Gobelin Hall of the Hungarian Parliament.

HES organised a study tour to Brussels for three university students - Zoltán Dóczi, Szabolcs Tóth and Szilvia Váradi together with István Hegedűs HES chairman between 15-19 April 2009 sponsored by the National Civil Fund.

Program

On 21 January 2009, Gábor Iván state secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, member of HES made a presentation on the preparations for the Hungarian Presidency in 2011.

On 25 November 2008, László Urbán, deputy director of OTP Bank and György Jaksity, managing director of Concorde Securities Limited, former chairman of Budapest Stock Exchange presented their views on Financial Global Crisis - Economic Global Crisis - Hungarian Consequences.

Tereza Novotna, Ph. D. candidate in political science at Boston University made a presentation entitled "The Accession Hangover - Czech Politics since May 2004", and Tim Haughton, senior lecturer in the politics of Central and Eastern Europe at Birmingham University spoke about "Changing Direction or Still on the Right Road? The Dynamics of Contemporary Slovak Politics" on 31 March 2008.

Kornél Almássy, Member of the Hungarian Parliament, Hungarian Democratic Forum, Gergely Romsics, member of HES, research fellow at the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs and András B. Vágvölgyi, journalist talked about the US election campaign on 5 March 2008.

Kálmán Mizsei, EU Special Representative for Moldova talked about The Transnistria Settlement and the Foreign Policy of the European Union in Shaping on 10 January 2008.

A MET szervezésében Bakos Anita, Galambos Tamás, Miklós Bernadett, Romsics Gergely és Strausz Erzsébet vett részt a BruxInFo európai uniós tanfolyamain 2006 végén, illetve 2007 elején a Nemzeti Civil Alapprogram támogatásával. 

The debate series "Marching In of the Hungarians" organised by the Hungarian Europe Society and the European Political Unit of the Hungarian Political Science Association was continued on Tuesday, 10 April 2007 in the Merlin Theatre. 

The debate series "Marching In of the Hungarians" organised by the Hungarian Europe Society and the European Political Unit of the Hungarian Political Science Association was continued on Monday, 26 February 2007 at 5.30 p. m. in the Merlin Theatre.The debate series "Marching In of the Hungarians" organised by the Hungarian Europe Society and the European Political Unit of the Hungarian Political Science Association was continued on Monday, 26 February 2007 at 5.30 p. m. in the Merlin Theatre.

A Magyarországi Európa Társaság könyvbemutatója.

On 20 September 2006, Lajos Bokros, professor and chief operating officer at the Central European University, former minister of finance in Hungary made a presentation entitled Stabilisation Packages.

Graham Avery, senior advisor, DG Enlargement of the European Commission gave a presentation for members of the Hungarian Europe Society on 15 October 2001 in Budapest.