“As it has done during the past eight years, Hungary is continuing to strive to approach European issues of major importance in a realistic manner, including the debate on the future of Europe, in which the Hungarian Government has ‘extremely spirited things to say’, particularly about migration”, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács told BBC Radio on Monday.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Monday morning political magazine program, where he was primarily asked about Hungary’s expected EU policy following its election victory on Sunday, Mr. Kovács explained in response to a question on Hungarian migration policy: “The Hungarians saw when 400 thousand people marched across the country in 2015 and they know very well that had the Hungarian Government not introduced the necessary measures following that – the construction of the border security fence and the reinforcement of the legal environment and border security services – then the same thing would have been repeated  again and again, month after month and year after year”.

In response to a question on whether Hungary was concerned that the EU could restrict funding in view of Hungary’s ongoing disputes with the European Union with relation to migration and the status of the judicial system and the media, the Government Spokesperson said: “Hungary has access to EU funding that are its due”. “This is not a gift. We opened our markets while in a disadvantaged position, and accordingly the EU is doing its best to compensate the gap between Hungary and Western Europe with respect to the state of the economy and the institutional system through cohesion funding”, Mr. Kovács said in the BBC interview.

“EU funding has absolutely nothing to do with ‘the usual accusations’ and it would be wiser for Europe, and particularly for the Hungarian opposition, to recognise that everything that we are doing, and that we are attempting to achieve, not only serves the interests of Hungary, but also those of the European Union”.

According to the Government Spokesperson, Hungary’s standpoint on the future of Europe is clear: “Hungary believes that there are clear demarcation lines between the sovereignties of member states and the spheres of competence of European institutions”.

Mr. Kovács said that the Hungarian Government continues to believe that the problems relating to migration represent the greatest threat and challenge to the future of Europe, but the Hungarian Prime Minister has always taken a stand on several other issues, and “this will remain the case”.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)