There is currently petition citizen initiative underway to urge the European Commission to connect all capitals of the EU with high-speed rail.
I’ve already signed it, are you joining ?
https://europa.eu/citizens-initiative/select-language?destination=/initiatives/details/2023/000004
Edit: It’s not a petition, it’s a citizen initiative.
Neither are the southeast Balkan countries (GR, BG, RO), or the Mediterannean island ones (MT, CY).
Running a line through Hungary-Romania-Bulgaria-Greece should relatively be much easier though
In theory yes, but:
EU politics is so much fun! :)
i mean, there are passport checks before you enter the UK when you travel through the Eurotunnel so that might work alright when you create a special checkpoint in the Budapest, for example? But all in all I think that both Bulgaria and Romania are going to join sooner than later, right now it’s mostly just the case of western politicians gathering support from their right-wing base. And the HSR won’t be built overnight anyhow.
I don’t know what to do about Hungary though, it’s sad how Orban holds back that beautiful country, and with how the fair election system, independent media and courts have been dismantled I don’t see how opposition can even win.