“The number of National Consultation questionnaires returned so far has crossed the one million mark”, the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister’s Parliamentary State Secretary, Csaba Dömötör announced.

“The 1 million 130 thousand replies indicate that the Consultation includes actual and relevant issues that will affect Hungary’s future”, he declared, adding that participation already exceeds that of the 2015 national consultation on immigration and is expected to exceed the participation of all previous similar initiatives.

The State Secretary said participation in the Consultation was equivalent to standing up for national independence and the Government’s policies.

Mr. Dömötör also said that until the 20 May deadline the Government is counting on the participation of everyone who believes it is not right for millions of immigrants to enter Europe in an uncontrolled manner, and who would not like Brussels to force resettlement programmes onto Hungary, in addition to those would like taxes, wages and energy prices to remain within a national sphere of competence.

“This is an opportunity for people to not only send a strong message to the Brussels decision-makers, but also to the Hungarian opposition parties”, he pointed out.

“The fact that we have various disputes with the Brussels decision-makers does not change the fact that Hungary is on the side of Europe and is working to ensure a strong Europe”, Mr. Dömötör said. The reason we must reform Brussels’ mistaken policies, which are not concentrating on the important issues, is precisely to ensure that “Europe can remain the best place in the world”, he said.

The State Secretary was also asked about reports from internet news portal Index, according to which there seem to be fewer “Let’s Stop Brussels” posters, to which he explained that according to the campaign’s schedule the various advertising spaces are being use to varying degrees, and adverts on television, radio and in the printed press are currently being given more weight; there is no reason why the pre-planned schedule should have been modified.

Mr. Dömötör was also asked about Zsolt Bayer’s article on protestors from non-governmental organisations, with regard to which he replied that the day before he had been publically threatened in Parliament by a Jobbik MP, the difference between the two cases being that György Szilágyi is a Member of Parliament and represents voters, whilst Zsolt Bayer isn’t. “The press and public writers use adjectives with much greater freedom, but MPs have a much greater responsibility”, he said.

In reply to another question, he explained that he wasn’t planning any legal action against György Szilágyi. “A politician must endure many things”, he said, adding that in his opinion the incident wasn’t about him, but about the fact that “there is a party that behaves in this way while hiding behind a screen of pleasantry, and I think this is unacceptable”.

Mr. Dömötör was also asked about the Szeviép affair, with relation to which he said: As a first step it would be nice for László Botka to issue a statement himself; this is a case that looks like a local issue, but which clearly indicates the kind of people who are recommending themselves to the public as a possible candidate for the post of Prime Minister. “Eleven billion forints have disappeared and over 100 enterprises have suffered losses”, he pointed out, adding that an investigation was called for.

“The is also a parking fee scandal developing in Szeged, which has caused over 10 million forints in damages, meaning there are several issues of this nature that are deserving of investigation”, he noted.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)