As Hungary had found the European Commission’s statements on the Hungarian prosecution system tendentious, the country has issued a separate statement at the latest Ecofin session, Minister of Finance Mihály Varga said in Luxembourg.

Hungary does not intend to join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, as the justice system falls within a national sphere of competence and Brussels has no mandate to interfere and thus hurt national sovereignty, he noted.  In addition, the Government of Hungary does not support the Brussels-proposed immigration-friendly budget draft; it does not serve either the interest of the EU or that of Hungary, he stressed.

In certain aspects, the Commission has turned more positive in the country-specific recommendations as several negative comments, which had been used for years, have been removed or toned down, he pointed out. However, the draft of this year’s recommendations still contains some questionable statements. The Government denounces the findings, for example, on the activity of the public prosecutor’s office as these go beyond the framework of the European Semester and interfere with national competences. The Government of Hungary maintains the standpoint that the decision of the Government not to join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office must be respected.

At the working breakfast which followed the session, budget revenues recommended by the European Commission have been debated. Hungary maintains the view, that the budget draft in its current form is politically motivated which favours immigration and does not serve the interest of either the EU in general and that of Hungary in particular. The draft would require substantially higher contributions by less wealthy member states and that is not in line with EU founding treaties, he stressed.

(Ministry of Finance)