The revocation of the Stop Soros legislative package is out of the question, Minister of State for Government Communication Bence Tuzson said at his Sunday press conference in response to critical comments regarding the relevant proposal.

He stressed that migration must be stopped, and organisations which support or organise migration must be restrained.

The Minister of State said that typically organisations funded by George Soros demand the revocation of the proposal, including the Menedék Hungarian Association for Migrants, Transparency International and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee.

Mr Tuzson stressed that as part of the social debate on the proposed bill the cabinet has received more than six hundred recommendations, most of which support the package or propose the tightening of the contemplated regulations.

Members of the public recommend that the 25 per cent border protection duty should be raised to as much as 150 per cent, initiate the tightening of the provisions of the Penal Code, and propose that the organisations concerned should be required to keep their accounts with Hungarian banks.

The Minister of State at the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister pointed out that in its criticism regarding the legislative package, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee went so far as to brand the government’s intention to protect the people and to fulfil the country’s obligations arising from its EU membership as harmful.

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (TASZ), which is also supported by George Soros, similar to Transparency International, protested against the package as well, he said.

These organisations continually urge the dismantling of the fence, attack the government’s immigration policy, would do away with the legal measures that seek to control the borders, would eliminate transit zones, and also attack the border guarding efforts and the police officers who protect our borders. At the same time, they likewise attacked the quota referendum and the national consultation on the Soros plan, he said, adding that they further demanded the release of the terrorist Ahmed H. who attacked our borders.

Mr Tuzson said that the legislative package will be one of the main topics of the group meeting of the government parties due to be held in mid-February, and the bill – which is yet to be supplemented with further comments – will be submitted to Parliament by the beginning of its spring session.

He highlighted that the goal continues to remain for organisations arranging or supporting migration to have themselves registered, to require them to pay a border protection duty on any funding received from abroad, and to keep those individuals away from the country who support or organise migration.

In answer to a question, Mr Tuzson responded to press reports that Péter Juhász, President of Együtt physically abused his former common-law spouse. The Minister of State said that as a father of four, he finds incidents such as this particularly shocking, and if only a fraction of this story is true, Mr Juhász cannot take part in politics at all and cannot take on any political function.

Mr Tuzson was also asked about a statement by Bernadett Szél, LMP’s candidate for prime minister. She believes that civil-society organisations should be given more funding, and those receiving funding from abroad should not be discriminated against. Mr Tuzson said that in 2016 funding worth HUF 240 billion was given to 62,000 non-governmental organisations in Hungary; this sum increased by 70 per cent. “Bernadett Szél obviously meant the funding of Soros organisations, including the funding of migration”, the Minister of State remarked, adding that the government is seeking to achieve the very opposite of this, namely that these non-governmental organisations should receive less funding.

He said in answer to a question regarding the Elios case that the government is officially in contact with the European Commission, and therefore they will await the Commission’s position. They will respond to that position, but at this point in time do not wish to concern themselves with rumours leaked in the press. He stressed that the observance of the law is important for the government in the case of each and every procurement. The issues mentioned have already been addressed, the relevant investigations have been completed, and no irregularities have been uncovered. However, as there is an election campaign under way, they can be repeated, Mr Tuzson said.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)