The European parliamentary (EP) elections to be held on 26 May will be crucial, and the crucial issue at the heart of the elections is the future of Europe, Zoltán Kovács said in Vienna.

Many believe that the dispute between Fidesz and the European People’s Party is of a technical nature, meaning which party family the Hungarian government parties will belong to. In actual fact, however, the real debate is about the future of Europe, the Minister of State for International Communication and Relations at the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister told the Hungarian news agency MTI after he met foreign journalists.

Mr Kovács has for years been visiting European capitals in order to answer the questions of local politicians and journalists so that they can inform themselves about the circumstances of decisions adopted in Hungary from a direct source.

According to the Minister of state, the Austrian capital was chosen partly because also on earlier occasions it was always enlightening to speak to journalists living in Vienna. Mr Kovács said “What is happening in Vienna is, in many respects, typical of what awaits us in Western Europe, or what we can expect in Western Europe”. At the same time, he added that regarding the perception of Hungary radical changes have occurred in Austria: while the earlier social democratic governments levelled heavy criticisms at Hungary, the country’s current perception is much more favourable.

Mr Kovács then pointed out that not a single other government in Europe has the type of democratic mandate or authorisation which the Hungarian people have given Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government three times in a row. The Minister of State also said that Western European journalists’ perception of us is hard to change, but in light of the facts and the consistency which has characterised Hungary in the past eight to nine years one may observe a slow shift also in this department.

On the occasion of his visit, the Minister of State further outlined Hungary’s position regarding family policy, social institutions and European politics.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)