Vienna - The Hungarian Prime Minister, Mr Viktor Orban, has said the EU's reluctance to specify a firm date for central and eastern European countries to join is "insulting" and "degrading". "This situation is uncomfortable," he told Austria's Format magazine in an interview published yesterday. "It is a little insulting to the self-esteem of the central European nations. For Hungary I can say this with certainty. It insults us because western Europe again and again sets new dates."
Mr Orban said he expected Hungary, which along with Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus began membership negotiations this year, to join the EU in 2002. "We fulfil the conditions for accession." The EU had initially talked about admitting the newcomers in 1995, then 2000 and some people were now talking about 2005. "I find this degrading," MrOrban said, accusing the EU of applying different standards from those imposed when southern European countries joined the bloc.