Hungarian Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács rejected demands for Fidesz to be expelled from the European People’s Party (EPP) in Vienna on Monday. The Spokesperson, who was quoted by Austrian news agency APA, indicated: Fidesz is not worried that it could be expelled from the EPP.

Speaking before members of the local press, Mr. Kovács stressed that Fidesz is in fact the strongest party in the EPP in view of its domestic support and its stability over the past eight years.

According to the Spokesperson, at last week’s party congress in Helsinki there were absolutely no calls for the party to be expelled. “Exactly the opposite happened”, he said, also pointing out that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had supported Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) politician Manfred Weber, who was subsequently elected as the EPPs top candidate for the post of European Commission President. Fidesz has always supported practical solutions that are dictated by “common sense”, and wants to share its experience, he said.

According to the Government Spokesperson, the EPPs liberal wing, which is criticising Fidesz, and which is in part also calling for the expulsion of the Hungarian governing party, will fail because “its opinions are not in touch with reality”.

With relation to the rule of law proceedings launched against Hungary according to Article 7 of the Treaty of the European Union, Mr. Kovács said it was “a political procedure, not a legal one”. The whole thing “is a question of political taste, and as such it is a witch hunt”, he underlined.

Mr. Kovács said he was dismayed by demands for Hungary’s EU funding to be decreased. “This is ridiculous”, he said. As he explained, that money is not a gift, but serves to assure the cohesion of European markets, which is beneficial to everyone. “Every euro that Western Europe gives to Central Europe in the form of cohesion funding generates a return”, the Hungarian Government Spokesperson highlighted.

With relation to the case of the Central European University founded by American billionaire George Soros, Mr. Kovács noted that the dispute is “of a purely legal nature”. “It cannot be the case that some people receive two diplomas for the same level of performance, and we want a clean system”, he stressed.

In addition, the Government Spokesperson strongly criticised the recently adopted reform of the Austrian family support system, which reduces family support payments with relation to children who do not live in Austria. “This is a breach of contract. If someone provides the same level of performance, they must receive the same level of services”, Mr. Kovács highlighted. He expressed his hope that the issue will be resolved in accordance with European law.

However, Mr. Kovács praised the current Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, explaining that “it is acting according to common sense and does not want to continue to force some kind of assumed and ideologically-based solidarity”.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)