The Hungarian economy’s growth this year will be around five per cent, Gergely Gulyás, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said at his press conference held on Thursday in Budapest.

Hungary is not independent of the economies of other Member States of the European Union. In order to minimise the impact of negative economic processes on Hungary, and to protect the Hungarian economy from a near-recession state, the government wishes to adopt a second economy protection action plan at the very beginning of next year, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office stated.

He observed that while George Soros and “his minions” did everything they could to prevent the government’s candidate from becoming a member of the European Commission, their attempts proved to be unsuccessful. The Minister welcomed the development that Olivér Várhelyi could be the Hungarian member of the new European Commission and would be given the portfolio of enlargement and neighbourhood policy. Despite the Hungarian opposition’s undignified attacks, Mr Várhelyi could become one of the best-equipped commissioners of the new EU body, he stated.

Mr Gulyás stressed that we expect the new European Commission to improve the EU’s flawed immigration policy, and to seek a consensus, rather than conflicts on this matter. We further expect them to change the direction of the EU’s economic policy, to seek to establish firm and fair relations with all great powers, and to strengthen the protection of the European way of life.

The Minister said the People’s Party has a new president. He delivered a speech yesterday in which there was nothing objectionable, except for his criticism of the protection of the external borders and border fences. Without the effective protection of the external borders and border fences Europe cannot be protected from illegal immigration, Mr Gulyás stated. The Minister also highlighted that the government had been prepared to make compromises with the European Commission several times. However, on the issue of immigration it is not prepared to yield an inch; the protection of the external borders cannot constitute the subject-matter of debates.

According to Mr Gulyás, the EPP’s new president should decide which direction he will seek to follow. From the People’s Party’s point of view, the main question is what future it envisages for itself, whether it wishes to retain the values which constituted its very foundations, he said. He pointed out that Fidesz must be in a conservative, centre-right democratic alliance, and if the EPP envisages such a future for itself, Fidesz as its most successful member party is ready to be at its disposal. He observed that we are open to consultation; if the EPP’s new president wishes to meet with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, he will have the opportunity to do so.

Mr Gulyás was asked about Péter Jakab’s (Jobbik) behaviour in Parliament the day before when he occupied the prime minister’s seat and refused to leave it despite multiple requests. The Minister – who is also a Member of Parliament for Fidesz – said some politicians confused the day of children’s rights with children’s day. It seems that for a good many members of the opposition children’s day should also be held in Parliament when they can go in unsupervised and sit in any seat, he said.

The Minister further highlighted in the context of North Macedonia’s opportunity to join the EU that the question is whether the EU has sealed its borders where they are at present, or genuinely believes that we need a single Europe. If the latter is the case, every European country must be offered the prospect of accession. What they have done to North Macedonia is “shameful” as the country has done everything it could, including the changing of its name; however, what the EU has done is contrary to Europe’s interests and is unacceptable, he said.

Regarding the judgement delivered in the case of the Helsinki Committee, he stated that it is a final and absolute judgement, and the government always duly implements final and absolute judgements.

(MTI)