János Martonyi
Encyclopedia
János Martonyi is a Hungarian politician and Foreign Minister of Hungary. He is a member of the Fidesz
party, and was also Foreign Minister between 1998 and 2002. More recently he was part of the Amato Group
that unofficially drafted a new treaty for the European Union
after the European Constitution was rejected by the French and Dutch voters.
In April 2007, Hungarian journalist Péter Kende reported in a weekly newspaper that Martonyi delivered reports to the Hungarian secret police in the 1960s, and that secret police files confirmed this. According to the files, Martonyi wrote among other things reports on the Hungarian emigrant scene in Germany
and France
.
On 29 May 2010 he was reappointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs. His most prominent tasks are the development of a strong and effective foreign policy, and planning for Hungarian Presidency of the European Union from January to July 2011. He visited Slovakia
before his inauguration on the occasion of the passing of the Hungarian law allowing citizenship to be given to Hungarians living in neighboring countries. The Slovak government has considered the new law to be an aggressive move, with insufficient negotiation between the two countries. Martonyi said that hysteria in Slovakia is a result of the election campaign there.
Martonyi's foreign policy's motto is a quote from 17th century poet Miklós Zrínyi
: "Don't hurt the Hungarian!"
His first visit abroad was to Serbia
. Martonyi mentioned the improved relations between the two countries. He said that Hungary has to help Serbia join the European Union
. Martonyi met Vuk Jeremić
who said the Hungarian EU Presidency will be very important for the integration of the Western Balkan countries. The Hungarian foreign minister also met Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković
and President Boris Tadić
.
At the end of the Hungarian Presidency of the European Union he said "the past six months of Hungary’s EU presidency demonstrated that Europe was able to function and react to challenges, even if sometimes slowly and unevenly". Martonyi noted that several objectives of the EU presidency could be summed up under the heading of “integration”. This category, he said, included the issue of EU enlargement, the approval of the Roma framework strategy and the Danube
Strategy as well as progress towards the admission of Romania
and Bulgaria
to the Schengen zone.
Martonyi is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts
.
Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union
The Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union is a major conservative party in Hungary. At the 2010 election in Hungary, Fidesz-KDNP won a two-thirds majority of seats by gaining 52% of the votes, with Fidesz winning 227 seats and KDNP winning 36...
party, and was also Foreign Minister between 1998 and 2002. More recently he was part of the Amato Group
Amato Group
The Amato Group, officially the Action Committee for European Democracy was a group of high-level European politicians unofficially working on rewriting the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe into what became known as the Treaty of Lisbon following its rejection by French and Dutch...
that unofficially drafted a new treaty for the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
after the European Constitution was rejected by the French and Dutch voters.
In April 2007, Hungarian journalist Péter Kende reported in a weekly newspaper that Martonyi delivered reports to the Hungarian secret police in the 1960s, and that secret police files confirmed this. According to the files, Martonyi wrote among other things reports on the Hungarian emigrant scene in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
On 29 May 2010 he was reappointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs. His most prominent tasks are the development of a strong and effective foreign policy, and planning for Hungarian Presidency of the European Union from January to July 2011. He visited Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
before his inauguration on the occasion of the passing of the Hungarian law allowing citizenship to be given to Hungarians living in neighboring countries. The Slovak government has considered the new law to be an aggressive move, with insufficient negotiation between the two countries. Martonyi said that hysteria in Slovakia is a result of the election campaign there.
Martonyi's foreign policy's motto is a quote from 17th century poet Miklós Zrínyi
Miklós Zrínyi
Miklós Zrínyi or Nikola Zrinski was a Croatian and Hungarian soldier, statesman and poet, member of the Zrinski noble family....
: "Don't hurt the Hungarian!"
His first visit abroad was to Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. Martonyi mentioned the improved relations between the two countries. He said that Hungary has to help Serbia join the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. Martonyi met Vuk Jeremić
Vuk Jeremic
Vuk Jeremić is a Serbian politician and the current Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of Serbia. He was sworn in on May 15, 2007 and reelected on July 7, 2008.-Education:Jeremić was born in Belgrade in 1975 to Miško Jeremić and Sena Buljubašić...
who said the Hungarian EU Presidency will be very important for the integration of the Western Balkan countries. The Hungarian foreign minister also met Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković
Mirko Cvetkovic
Mirko Cvetković is a Serbian economist and the Prime Minister of Serbia as well as the Minister of Finance.-Biography:...
and President Boris Tadić
Boris Tadic
Boris Tadić is the President of Serbia and leader of the Democratic Party. He was elected to a five-year term on 27 June 2004, and was sworn into office on 11 July. He was re-elected for a de facto second five-year term on 3 February 2008 and was sworn in on 15 February...
.
At the end of the Hungarian Presidency of the European Union he said "the past six months of Hungary’s EU presidency demonstrated that Europe was able to function and react to challenges, even if sometimes slowly and unevenly". Martonyi noted that several objectives of the EU presidency could be summed up under the heading of “integration”. This category, he said, included the issue of EU enlargement, the approval of the Roma framework strategy and the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
Strategy as well as progress towards the admission of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
to the Schengen zone.
Martonyi is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts
European Academy of Sciences and Arts
The European Academy of Sciences and Arts was created in 1990 in Salzburg, Austria by heart surgeon Felix Unger of Salzburg; the cardinal archbishop of Vienna, Franz König; and the political scientist and philosopher Nikolaus Lobkowicz....
.