The opening round-table talk of the summer university was held in the Rectorate’s Assembly
Hall at the University of Szeged on 9th July. Nearly 40 students of great ability and interested in European integration participated in this debate. During their stay, students had the opportunity to deepen and gain more knowledge since the aspects of European integration were highlighted by such lecturers as János Martonyi, Foreign Minister of Hungary and professor of the University of Szeged; Roland Galharague, French Ambassador in Budapest; Johan Indekeu, Belgian Ambassador in Budapest; Jean de Ruyt, Senior European Policy Advisor for Covington and Burling and László Trócsányi, professor of the University of Szeged and the Hungarian Ambassador in Paris.

“By 2012, such a situation has evolved in the history of European integration that needs urgent
and explicit measures to be taken, there is no choice”, János Martonyi, Foreign Minister of Hungary, emphasized at the press conference of the European Summer University. He also added that if these measures were not realized, the following two options would have been possible: “Either the euro-zone and the EU collapse or we witness its slow decay. Although the EU must avoid that and Hungary does not want either disintegration”, he declared it explicitly. He
continued: “Our mother country must always belong to the heart of Europe even if we sense disintegration.” According to Mr. Martonyi, the happenings on the last summit of the European Council show positive progress and have settled both the markets and the public opinion. The professor of the University of Szeged urged the European Union for a more unified move. He emphasized: “The integration should be deepened at certain areas and the scope of authority of
certain institutions of the EU should be widened; however, that cannot happen without giving democratic political legitimacy to the institutions.”

Professor László Trócsányi added that experts considered that the strengthening of EU’s legitimacy was inevitable. He highlighted that the way of giving a role of national parliaments in new decision making procedures could have a crucial role.

The guests of the European Summer University spent almost a week in Szeged and during this
time they attended lectures on the financial crisis, European citizenship, immigration and defence policy and got an insight to European integration from an outside of the EU point of view as well. There were trips to Budapest and Ópusztaszer, during which the participants learnt more about the Parliament and Hungarian historical values and culture.

This event was organized by the European Studies Centre of the University of Szeged, Faculty of Law in co-operation with the Europe Direct Szeged information office. Special thanks for their support - among others - to Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), French Embassy in Budapest, Wallonie-Bruxelles International, MOL Nyrt., Foundation for the Europe of Communities and BNP Paribas.

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