Two basic assumptions are made with regard to the new European Union (EU) member states that formerly belonged to the Soviet sphere of influence. First, that traditionally they have been regarded as constituting a single bloc. Second, there is a widely held conviction among newcomers that membership in the EU is the only way to accelerate economic growth. However, there are visible differences among them and their attitudes are based on generally different national interests.

This is especially true for issues, countries and regions traditionally seen as “out-of-area”, where there is no history of cooperation, which is the case of Mediterranean basin. While not altogether alien to Hungarian history, the Mediterranean region has not been a priority in Hungarian foreign policy over the past few decades. The paper analyses how the Hungarian attitude towards the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EMP) and the Mediterranean as a whole has evolved in the context and during process of EU integration.