- Women win EU membership

Almost two hours after we had agreed to meet in the European Parliament, we finally have to sit down in one of the hallways in the huge parliament building in Brussels.

Hungarian parliamentarian Zita Gurmai is an observer of her homeland in the EU capital. She represents the Socialist Party sitting in power in Hungary. But the majority of the Hungarian parliament is so small that she has to be in the Hungarian parliament in Budapest every Monday, when the most important polls are conducted. While sitting as an observer in the European Parliament, it has meant that she has taken the plane to Brussels every Tuesday to prepare for the Hungarian accession to the EU on 1 May this year.

We have agreed to meet at four in the afternoon, but during Monday evening and Tuesday, her secretary calls several times and changes the agreement. Finally, we agree that Zita Gurmai should have arrived at Parliament at half past five – and then we have included the daily traffic chaos in the Belgian capital.

It is approaching six o'clock before the taxi with the Hungarian parliamentarians shows up. We can then begin our conversation outside in one of the wide and large corridors of Parliament. She apologizes that we can not take it inside her office – because she has to share it with three others – and since the office is hardly over 10 square meters, it quickly becomes difficult to talk while others try to do something else.

In the autumn, the European Parliament will become her permanent place of work. She holds one of the safe seats for the MSZP party during the EU elections in June. And, as a well-to-do advocate for Hungarian EU membership, she is looking forward to getting started in Parliament.

The women are coming

Zita Gurmai sees EU membership as a good opportunity for Eastern European women to strengthen their position in the labor market. She has worked with women's issues for many years, and is currently Vice President of the Women's Committee of the Socialist International, while also leading the women's organization in her own party.

- I see it as important to work for women's rights – both at home in Hungary and in the EU. The starting point is difficult, because so few women have a place in the political system in Eastern Europe. But it is an exciting challenge that I can not help but do something about, says Zita Gurmai.

Under communist rule in the early 30s, the Hungarian parliament had around 15 percent women. After the wall collapsed and the multi-party system was introduced, the female share of MPs fell to seven percent. Today, they have managed to get this up to 30 percent – but the goal is at least XNUMX percent.

The women's organization headed by Zita Gurmai at home in Hungary has approx. 4000 members of which 75-80 per cent of them are not members of the party.

- There is something left in people. They are very skeptical of the parties. Of the 10,2 million inhabitants, about one million were members of the Communist Party. The rest did not want party membership. This is something we still notice that people feel, and the party does not want to force people to join, but political interest and vigilance are more important.

Hungary is divided

Zita Gurmai is convinced that it was right to say yes to EU membership for Hungary.

But the people of Hungary are also divided. It is especially the young people who say yes to Europe and EU membership. The elderly and a majority of women are opposed.

- We must face the realities and see the opportunities for free access in a market that will include a total of 25 countries. This gives us great opportunities. We are also waiting and looking at what will happen to Bulgaria and Romania. Involving Romania and Bulgaria in the EU is of great importance to Hungary. For me, it is difficult to understand that a country like Norway does not want to join the EU. I am a person who likes to collaborate and who enjoys building alliances.

Zita Gurmai believes that she, as an observer, has already contributed to the decisions of the European Parliament. She mentions that they recently had a breakthrough for the construction of a north-south highway from Poland in the north to Slovenia in the south.

The EU has struggled all year to build a popular foundation for the project. This is something that worries Gurmai and other EU members soon.

- I hope that many will come and vote in the parliamentary elections in June – hope that at least 60 percent of voters throughout the EU participate in the elections.

At the last election, only 49 per cent voted in the entire EU area, with only 24 per cent in the UK as the lowest turnout.

- It is not good enough, we must have the people with us in this project, says Zita Gurmai who supports the draft new constitution for the EU

- I am broadly satisfied with it – I myself am best satisfied with the part that secures the minorities in the EU. When it comes to the weight of votes, the changes do not affect Hungary – as a medium-sized country. But I can well understand the Polish frustration. Fortunately, it seems that Polish dissatisfaction will not stop the constitution, after Spain no longer supports the Polish point of view. You have to keep in mind that there are 25 countries' requirements that must be combined and made to fit more or less together.

Poland is dissatisfied that their votes will count less in the new constitution than they did when the agreement on Poland's membership was signed.

- What we are witnessing is a historic time for Europe, and I feel that it is right that we participate in this development, says Zita Gurmai who has already expected the environment in Brussels.

- I like the parliament in Brussels better. In Strasbourg it is not very clear and everything goes in circles. It is impossible to find your way around. Here in Brussels, it is easier to relate to, says Zita Gurmai. She also thinks that the observers could have had better job opportunities in parliament. Four people on 10 square meters 12 hours one day sets requirements for tolerance.

Hungarians stay home

Zita Gurmai is disappointed by the treatment Eastern Europeans have received in several EU countries in recent months. She added that the claims of a migration from east to west after May 1 have been taken out of the open air, and have no bearing on the reality.

- The labor market will be a tough nut to crack in the future. In Hungary, we have for many years had a retirement age of 55 for women and 60 for men. Now men's retirement age has been moved to 62. This is an educational task where we have to explain why people have to work more. The entire EU area experiences fewer births and people getting older. The balance means that we must work harder to secure retirement for all of us.

- But I have no faith that people will apply in large numbers to Western Europe. There will be a few who will go west and about as many who will come east. This is an inflated problem that has no roots in reality. I can well understand that the social schemes in the individual countries do not tolerate many people coming in and can demand full payment. There must only be solutions to this.

She points out that in most countries in Europe there is a shortage of labor in some special occupations.

- These should be able to find the workforce where it is. My hope is that those countries that want to impose strict restrictions on Eastern Europeans will drop these laws when they see that there will be no wave of Eastern Europeans demanding access to their social schemes.

- Keep in mind that in Hungary we have an unemployment rate of around 20 percent in the east, while in Budapest and in the west there is almost no unemployment – on the contrary, there is a shortage of labor. We do not get people to voluntarily move from east to west internally in Hungary. Therefore, I also do not believe that they will apply to other European countries where they do not know the language.

Language an obstacle

- The language is also another reason why we do not get any migrations. In Hungary, people over the age of 50 rarely speak any language other than Hungarian. They may know a little German or English. There are not many Russians who know anything special. We were forced to learn Russian, and lessons learned under duress are not good lessons. If we look at those over 50, only 10-10 percent of them know languages ​​other than Hungarian.

- Young women often want to go to other countries to work for a period – but these always come home again after a while. They want experiences and experiences, but they want to live in their home country. We must also keep in mind that in the past it was common to have the same job for 20-25 years. Today, people change jobs more often.

Hungary is currently experiencing an annual growth of around 10 per cent. Germany stands still.

- We know who we are and where we are. People from small countries learn early to place themselves and their country on the geographical map. I do not think there are very many in the large Western European countries who can distinguish between the 10 new member countries, where they are in relation to each other etc.

- The young people have started to seek out and seek knowledge. I experience that more young people want to learn new languages, and that they want to be part of the world outside Hungary. Several schools in Hungary, including some private kindergartens, have started teaching children more about other languages ​​and teaching them new languages.

- The EU will create change throughout Europe – and it is the women who will change the policy, says Zita Gurmai.