The Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union to start on July 1 can offer a good alternative to current EU policies, the president of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA) said on Friday. Gladden Pappin said in his opening address at a conference dubbed Sovereignty and Integration – 20 Years of Hungary in the EU that the European continent had once again become the scene of ideology-based battles. He said that in recent years, Europe’s economic competitiveness declined and its social cohesion significantly weakened. The EU needs a new concept and policy which could make the community a stronger and more significant player in the world, Pappin said, adding that he expected positive changes as a result of the Hungarian presidency.