Hungary has always insisted that the regulations of the European Union must be equally observed by every Member State, and there is no room for double standards, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said after he met with journalists, Members of Parliament and members of the Hungarian community in the Netherlands.

Mr Kovács told the Hungarian news agency MTI in an interview by telephone that he had talks in Amsterdam and The Hague primarily with respect to the future of the EU and illegal immigration. According to his information, the purpose of his visit was to outline the Hungarian position and to inform opinion makers.

He said he had stressed at his meetings that when “Hungary protects its borders, it protects the whole of Europe”.

The spokesperson delivered a speech on the campus of Leiden University in The Hague where students were free to ask questions. He said that students cited allegations that customarily emerge in domestic politics in Hungary. These allegations “also reach the Netherlands as well as a number of other countries in Europe through half-truths and distorted mirrors”.

He added, however, that in his experience, if there is enough time to go into the more intricate details, “it is possible to cast light on the actual nature of the domestic political situation in Hungary”.

“If we strip arguments that are based on political intentions and double standards and talk on the foundations of common sense, people in the Netherlands, too, understand the Hungarian position”, he said. “We are able to give a sensible answer to every biased political opinion”, he pointed out.

Regarding the Hungarian-Dutch diplomatic scandal that erupted last summer, Mr Kovács said that, in his opinion, they had succeeded in fully resolving this conflict since.

“I believe people have realised that diplomatic relations serve to understand one another, rather than to interfere with one another’s affairs”, the government spokesperson said, adding that there is agreement between the two countries on a number of issues, including the importance of financial discipline.

The previous Dutch ambassador to Hungary said in an interview given to a newspaper that extremist Islamists “create enemies based on the same principles as the Hungarian government”. In response to this statement, Hungary summoned its ambassador to The Hague back to Hungary for consultation. The Dutch foreign minister later distanced himself from the scandalous statement.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)