A transfer of power between the Belgian and Hungarian presidency, very imperial

(In Budapest) The transfer of power between the Belgian and Hungarian presidencies was full of ceremonial, very solemn, almost imperial. It is under the chandeliers and the lights of the dome of the Hungarian Parliament, in the shadow of the crown of St Etienne, raised with the different flags that Hungary has known during its history, that Yves Leterme, the Belgian Prime Minister , presented his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, with the European flag. The Belgian and Hungarian anthems were played by the official orchestra under the eyes of the National Parliament Honor Guard, in their official clothes. Only oversight... the European anthem. Here are some of the photos of an excellent fellow photographer, Thierry Monasse.

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