The Government takes the view that, instead of Brussels, the Hungarian people alone have the right to decide whom they want to live together with in their country, Antal Rogán said in response to the Curia’s Tuesday decision, based on which a referendum can be held at the Government’s initiative with respect to the mandatory resettlement quotas.
The Minister heading the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister told the press: Parliament may decide on the referendum and the allocation of the necessary financial resources as early as next week. To this end, they are initiating consultations with the leaders of the House and the parliamentary groups.
The Minister believes that the referendum may be held foreseeably in September or in the first few days of October; the exact day will be set by President of the Republic János Áder.
The Minister also pointed out that the socialists and liberals who contested the Government’s referendum initiative before the Curia – including Tibor Szanyi MEP for MSZP, Benedek Jávor, MEP for PM, and the Hungarian Liberal Party – „share a pro-immigration stance also today”, and „they were only trying to buy some time for Brussels”.
If it was up to the socialists and the liberals, they would grant the right of forced settlement to Brussels, he said, stressing that the Curia, however, did not share their position.
The case of forced settlement is an issue of national sovereignty. „If Brussels wants forced settlement, the nations will have to decide on this”, he disclosed the Government’s view.
Mr Rogán added: according to the latest public opinion polls, minimum two thirds, but closer to 70 per cent of Hungarian citizens believe that it is right to hold such a referendum, and they would like to have their voices heard.
In his words, „increasingly crazy ideas are being conceived” in Brussels; they have not at all given up on the issue of forced settlement. „They only wait for the outcome of the referendum in the UK, and this plan will shortly thereafter be placed on the agenda of the EU institutions”.
Therefore, a referendum must be held in Hungary within the shortest possible time, he said, adding that the Government will ask the people to make clear: the Hungarian people alone have the right to decide whom we welcome to our country and whom not.
He remarked: in his view, „turnout is not the most important, but rather how the Hungarian people will decide on this issue”.
In answer to the question as to whether they will perhaps wait for the opposition’s referendum initiative and call a single referendum on both issues, Mr Rogán said: the issue on which MSZP is collecting signatures today „is ridiculous, to say the least”.
The head of the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister said in answer to a question related to the central bank’s foundations: György Matolcsy is attacked by many because he is a successful central bank governor, and his activities serve the benefit of the country. It is his achievement that the National Bank of Hungary, which formerly generated losses, is now profit-making, he said, and remarked: it is further in consequence of Mr Matolcsy’s efforts that the Hungarian economy is currently growing against the background of a low inflation rate.
Regarding the assets of the foundations, he said: they have not diminished, and may have in actual fact increased. He added: he also agrees with the goals of the foundations which relate to the promotion of education, scholarship grants and book publishing.
(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)
