February 23rd, 2016
Two leading commentators agree that the deal struck by Great Britain at the EU summit last Saturday will probably be sufficient for British voters to opt for staying within the European Union in June, but Europe will never be the same again as a result.
In Népszabadság, Miklós Hargitai believes the deal will prevent Brexit and the disintegration of the European Union. Both sides, however, had to make ‘grave concessions’. Britain will not impose limitations on the influx of European manpower, while the rest of Europe has granted a special status to the United Kingdom. Hargitai suspects that in the new setup Hungary will be relegated to a peripheral role, although ‘perhaps’ without being fully marginalised.
In Magyar Nemzet, Gábor Stier thinks the stakes were much higher in Brussels last Saturday than just Mr Cameron’s survival as Prime Minister. The future of the Union was in the balance, and he deems the outcome ‘satisfactory’. With the deal in his hand, Mr Cameron may well win the EU referendum in June and the EU will not be damaged. Not formally at least, he adds. For Britain’s special status has become even more special, which may encourage other countries to cherry pick advantages while rejecting cumbersome obligations, which might undermine cohesion within the Union.
Tags: Cameron, Europe, UK
