The government, with the support of the Fidesz and KDNP parliamentary groups, will launch a national consultation in March, the Parliamentary State Secretary of the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister said on Kossuth Radio’s programme ‘Sunday Paper’.

Csaba Dömötör stressed that there is a need for a national consultation because “we are facing new phenomena” which compromise security and fundamentally go against the people’s sense of justice. These include the ‘prison business’, the multitude of compensation lawsuits or the fact that violent criminals are released sooner, he said.

He pointed out that what these cases have in common is a group of organisations funded from abroad which take the initiative in scandalous cases, and in many instances the suspicion emerges that, in addition to ideological considerations, they also have vested financial interests. As according to Mr Dömötör these are sensitive issues, it is not at all irrelevant how many people will state their views, and how many people will stand for the government’s policy.

The government would like to put an end to all practices which are unfair and compromise security, and if the outcome of the national consultation gives them confirmation, the cabinet will take the necessary legal measures, the State Secretary stated.

He added that the series of questions will be finalised in the next few days. As expected, topics will include the ‘prison business’, the compensation lawsuits instituted against the Hungarian State on behalf of immigrants, and also the Gyöngyöspata situation. According to Mr Dömötör, the latter is about the fact that an organisation funded from abroad thrust itself into a situation which was difficult as it was, and by having instituted lawsuits, put the local government into an extremely difficult position.

He said this issue must be dealt with because there is no way of knowing in how many such settlements they instituted similar proceedings, and what the consequences could be. He said it is certain, however, that these cases disrupt the positive process that started years ago; in the past few years, unemployment among the Roma has decreased to one half.

Mr Dömötör highlighted that it would be best for the individuals concerned if they were offered education, training and even vocational training programmes because these could enable them to find jobs on the labour market.

In the context of corruption in the judiciary, he said the basic tenet is that courts must function impartially, and in Szeged the suspicion emerged that the business interests of the family members of some judges may have gained advantages.

Regarding the fact that, according to the decision of the court proceeding at second instance in a civil lawsuit – a penal lawsuit is also under way – in December 2018, opposition Members of Parliament were in the Hungarian Television building at Kunigunda út lawfully, he said they accept the court’s decision.

He pointed out that, based on the law, Members of Parliament must be allowed to enter public institutions. This is just what happened; however, the fact that they wanted to interrupt broadcasts and wanted their demands read out are clear violations of the relevant rules, and are also in breach of freedom of the press. According to Mr Dömötör, these cases show that the Left seeks to cover up its lack of independent proposals by continually “seeking trouble”. They imported from abroad not only their ideology, but also a culture of provocation.

Mr Dömötör also highlighted that in the context of the Ukrainian education law, perceivable pressure is being exerted upon the Hungarian party blocking Ukraine’s NATO integration. He stressed that the new Ukrainian laws fundamentally violate the Hungarian minority’s language usage rights. The Hungarian government takes the view that it is possible to achieve all at once the goals that all citizens living in the territory of Ukraine should be able to speak Ukrainian and Hungarians living in Transcarpathia should be able to preserve their mother tongue. However, the laws recently adopted in Ukraine do not point in that direction. They have managed to arrange for the Education Minister to receive Hungarian teachers, he added.

He stated that Hungary has a vested interest both in good neighbourly relations and in Ukraine’s Transatlantic integration. However, the government must represent the cause of Hungarian communities because if it fails to do so no one else will. He added that it is at the same time difficult to find words regarding the fact that Momentum “again sided with those exerting pressure from abroad”.

In response to news reports leaked by the newspaper Népszava claiming that, in contrast to earlier promises, Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony will provide heating support to the value of twenty thousand forints only for the neediest, and not for all pensioners, Mr Dömötör said this is a clear violation of election promises.

He observed that there have been tax increases in several districts, and “they are also flirting with the idea of the congestion charge”. What we have seen so far points in the direction of austerity measures, rather than the alleviation of burdens.

(MTI)